Photographic postcard of the Cuban Knights Social Club: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A photographic postcard featuring a sepia toned image of twelve (12) young men dressed similarly in white jackets with medium toned lapels, dark pants, and dark ties with tie clips. They are arranged in two (2) rows, with five (5) seated in front and seven (7) standing at the back. The three (3) men in the center of the front row are holding a sign that reads [CUBAN KNIGHTS / Social Club]. The number [3217] is printed in the negative, in the bottom left corner. The back of the postcard has the text [POST CARD] printed at the top in black and traced over by hand in pencil. The left half of the page has black printed text that reads [CORRESPONDENCE / Dear Friend: / You are invited to our / ANNUAL FREE MATINEE / West End Hall / Vandeventer and Finney Aves. / Sunday, April 11, '37 4-8 p.m. / Music by / ST. LOUIS CRACKERJACKS / Admission and Checking Free / Thanking you, / The Cuban Knights / Courtesy fee 15c]. The name of the manufacturer, [ORCAJO PHOTO ART, DAYTON, OHIO], is printed vertically to the left of the text. The right half is addressed [To / Sally Cathell / From / Harold Green], handwritten in pencil.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1937
• Printed by: Orcajo Photo Art, American
• Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men
• Subject of: Cuban Knights Social Club, American
• Subject of: St. Louis Crackerjacks, American, 1938
• Subject of: West End Hall, American
• Subject of: Harold Green
• Type: portraits
• Type: photographic postcards
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 3 7/16 × 5 7/16 in. (8.7 × 13.8 cm)
• Place depicted: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
• Place printed: Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Cultural Place: Cuba, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American West
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Correspondence
• Topic: Fraternal organizations
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Photography
• Object number: 2013.46.25.13
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.