Funeral program for André Leon Talley: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A funeral program “Celebrating the Life of André Leon Talley.”

The seven-page, saddle-stitched program is printed in black ink on white paper. The front cover depicts a black and white photograph portrait of portrait of Talley, seated in a tuxedo, captured by Alice Springs (June Newton) at La Villa Vigie, Karl Lagerfeld’s home on the French Riviera. Text below the portrait reads [1948-2022].

The interior cover page has a notice reading: [Cover Photo / Andre Leon Talley, Villa Vigie, 1989 © Alice Springs – Maconochie Photography]. The first interior page reads [Celebrating the Life of / ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY / Friday, April 29, 2022 / 11:00 am], followed by the church name and address and the name of the officiating pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, all printed within a simple black border. The next three pages detail the order of service, including the names of the participants. The service included tributes from brian Nunn, Adira Maui, Marc Jacobs, Anna Wintour, Bethann Hardison, Carolina Herrera, Paula Wallace, Naomi Campbell, and Diane Von Furstenberg, as well as a musical tribute by Valerie Simpson. The last page features a copy of Talley’s obituary written by Robin Givhan for The Washington Post. The back cover is blank.

There are some small creases in the program. It is held together by two staples along the spine.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2022
• Distributed by: Abyssinian Baptist Church, American, founded 1808
• Subject of: André Leon Talley, American, 1948 - 2022
• Photograph by: Alice Springs, Australian, 1923 - 2021
• Written by: Robin Givhan, American, born 1964
• Subject of: Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, American, 1949 - 2022
• Type: souvenir programs
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 11 × 8 1/2 in. (27.9 × 21.6 cm)
• Place used: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Funeral customs and rites
• Topic: Journalism
• Object number: 2023.61
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Photo: © Alice Springs; Text: © Robin Givhan Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.