Photograph of the Rose Buds performing at the Rose Room: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of the dance ensemble, the Rose Buds, performing on a stage in front of a band at the Rose Room. The four female dancers are dressed in matching outfits comprised of a striped, corset dress with a small ruffle skirt and matching elbow length gloves. A top hat tied with a large bow sits askew on each woman's head. The dancer on the far right is Laura Cathrell and the dancer at the center of the photograph is Birdie Warfield Edison. There is a band depicted on the left side of the image. The visible male musicians includes two saxophonists, a drummer, and a bass player. Two music stands have the text, [JOHNNIE / COLE'S], printed on the front. The women stand on a stage surrounded by dinner tables. There are no inscriptions on the front or back of the photograph. Four inscriptions, by the same hand, on the front of the photograph read, [me[?] Bunny Toby LAUR / A]. The identifiers are written by each dancer. An inscription in black ink on the back of the photograph reads, [Here Are The four / "Rose Buds” / that father[sic] Devine / was speaking of in in[sic] / the paper AT / forbes[sic] Beach -].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1952-1953
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Laura Cathrell, 1914 - 1999
• Subject of: Birdie Warfield Edison, American
• Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women
• Subject of: Rose Buds, American
• Subject of: Johnnie Cole's, American
• Subject of: Rose Room, American
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Image and sheet): 4 3/4 × 6 1/2 in. (12 × 16.5 cm)
• Place captured: Cliffwood, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2013.46.25.208
• 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.