Bess, You Is My Woman: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Sheet music for “Bess, You Is My Woman." The front cover is a black and white illustration with an off-white margin. Across the top margin is the title "BESS YOU IS MY WOMAN." The illustration, done in the style of woodcuts, depicts several vignettes. The foremost vignette is a profile of a man and woman, face to face. Beyond them is a palm tree, under which is the silhouette of a goat-drawn cart. In the cart is a reclining figure of a man with a crutch. Along the right hand side are two wooden cabins with a boat and ocean beyond them. In the top right corner is the outline of a city skyline. There is a large arm, stemming from the profile of the front man, with a large hand pointing toward the city skyline. In the top left quarter are the words "The Theatre Guild presents/ PORGY and BESS/ Music by GEORGE GERSHWIN/ Libretto by/ DUBOSE HEYWARD/ Lyrics by/ DUBOSE HEYWARD and IRA GERSHWIN/ Production direction by/ ROUBEN MAMOULIAN." At the bottom right corner are the words "Gershwin Publishing Corp. / RKO Bldg. New York, N.Y. / Chappell & Co. Inc. / Sole Selling Agent/ Made in U.S.A."

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1935
• Published by: Gershwin Publishing Corp.
• Written by: George Gershwin, American, 1898 - 1937
• Written by: Ira Gershwin, American, 1896 - 1983
• Written by: DuBose Heyward, American, 1885 - 1940
• Illustrated by: Ben Jorj Harris, 1904 - 1957
• Subject of: Rouben Mamoulian, American, 1897 - 1987
• Type: sheet music
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 12 × 9 in. (30.5 × 22.9 cm)
• Place printed: New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Musical Theatre
• Topic: Opera (Music)
• Object number: 2013.223.34
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Vicki Gold Levi
• 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: © 1935 by George Gershwin Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.