Photograph of the Ensemble of Harlem Uproar House: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of a group of eleven (11) women wearing matching costumes and posing on stage. Each woman is wearing a large bow on her head, cropped tops with puffed sleeves, and ruffled skirts that open at the front. One (1) woman is seated on a two-tiered platform at the center of the image. Two (2) women stand behind her, while the remaining women stand on either side of the platform, four (4) on each side. Each woman is holding her skirt out to the side and smiling. Inscribed within the white border at the top, in blue ink, is the text, [To Laurie.. May the sky be your limit, Iris]. Handwritten in black ink over the curtain at the top right of the image is text that reads, [The Ladies of the “Ensemble" / Harlem Uproar House / Season "37" / N.Y.C.] The name [Lauri] is written across the chest of one of the women. The remainder of the inscriptions are written across the bottom of the page and are written in blue ink by different hands: [To Lauri / Cappie / “Dee[?]” / To Laurie - I met / you in a / uproar (solid) / Jeanne / Martine / To Lauri / From Thelma / To Lauri / Always rembir[?] the / "Uproar House" / C[---?]th[---?] / To Lauri my [---?] / Friend (Bah) Cappie / “Bu” / To Lauri / From "Pidgie" / (Vivian Garnett) / "Ethyl Love" / To "Laurie" From Eva / To Homey / from Lula / Doris Dawson / To My Lauri / remember that / fun blue crock / (smiles) / Sincerely / Nonie]. There is an inscription in pencil on the back.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1937
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Laura Cathrell, 1914 - 1999
• Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women
• Subject of: Harlem Uproar House, American
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 7 3/8 × 9 5/16 in. (18.7 × 23.7 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 7 15/16 × 9 7/8 in. (20.2 × 25.1 cm)
• Place captured: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2013.46.25.3
• 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.