The Purple and White: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The 1948 high school yearbook of Lorraine Hansberry and Sam Greenlee, "The Purple and White," issued by Englewood High School in Chicago and signed by both.

This yearbook has a heavily embossed brown leather front and back cover which, in gold, depicts a portion of architecture of former Englewood High School. The inner front and back cover pages feature a dark reddish drawing which depicts people of all nationalities and occupations, gathered outside the same structure embossed on the front cover.

The book is inscribed by dozens of classmates and staff on their corresponding picture pages or rear flyleaves. Lorraine Hansberry is pictured on page thirty-six (36) among her high school's February midyear graduates, credited as "President, Forum; Gym secretary." She wrote that her ambition was "To be a journalist." She inscribed in the book "Good luck & success, '48" with an arrow pointing to her name. Hansberry can also be seen on page 105 in the group portrait of the school's debate forum.

Author Samuel E. Greenlee, Jr. also appears on page 55, among the expected June graduates, noting his membership on the track team and a desire "to excel in law." He inscribed in the book, "Good luck and best wishes, Samuel E. Greenlee Jr." He can also be seen with the track team on page 117.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: January 1948
• Created by: Englewood High School, American
• Signed by: Lorraine Hansberry, American, 1930 - 1965
• Signed by: Sam Greenlee, American, born 1930
• Type: yearbooks
• Medium: ink on photographic paper and leather with cardboard
• Dimensions: H x W x D (open): 10 13/16 × 8 1/16 × 11/16 in. (27.5 × 20.5 × 1.7 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (closed): 10 13/16 × 15 7/8 × 11/16 in. (27.5 × 40.3 × 1.7 cm)
• Place depicted: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Literature
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2022.21.19
• 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: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.