Black and tan chessboard used by Herman Wallace while incarcerated: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black and tan cardboard chessboard used by Herman Wallace while incarcerated at Angola Prison. This chessboard features a prominent jagged split across the middle, alongside various wear and tear from use. On the playing side, one of the four corners, is a small white label with black type that reads: [100% COTTON / MADE IN CHINA]. On the reverse of the board are splotches of black ink, illegible inscriptions with “1994”, and an unrelated transparent deodorant label.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1994
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Herman Wallace, American, 1941 - 2013
• Subject of: Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835
• Type: checkerboards
• Medium: ink on cardboard
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 13 3/8 × 13 3/8 × 1/4 in. (34 × 34 × 0.7 cm)
• Place used: Angola, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Men
• Topic: Mental health
• Topic: Prisons
• Topic: Recreation
• Object number: A2018.36.1.12.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maria Hinds
• 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: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.