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Charlene Hodges Byrd collection

Physical description: 43 linear feet (35 document boxes and 39 oversize boxes)
Abstract: The Charlene Hodges Byrd collection measures 43 linear feet, and dates from circa 1750-2009, with the bulk of the material dating from 1880-1960. The collection documents the personal life and professional career of Charlene Hodges Byrd, an African American teacher from Washington, D.C., along with material for several related families from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Family members prominently represented include Sarah A. Shimm, teacher and essayist under the name Faith Lichen; her daughters Erminie F. Shimm and Grace E. Shimm Cummings, both teachers; and Byrd's mother, Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, also a teacher. Correspondence and writings chiefly discuss family life, religion, race, education, and the relationship with Frederick Douglass and his family. The collection is arranged in 10 series: Biographical Material, Correspondence, Writings, Subject Files, Financial and Legal Records, Printed Material, Volumes, Memorabilia, Textiles, and Photographs.
Preferred Citation note: Charlene Hodges Byrd collection, circa 1750-2009. National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.
Scope and Contents note: Series 1. Papers related to biographical and family histories of the Byrd, Cummings, Davage, Dews, Hodges, Shimm, Spruill, and Thomas families. Material includes family trees; school diplomas and certificates; programs; awards; marriage and divorce papers; funeral documents; and obituaries.; Series 2: Chiefly letters from family and friends regarding family news, financial matters, school, work, neighborhood affairs, church events, travel and the weather. The majority of the letters are addressed to Charlene Hodges Byrd, Grace E. Shimm Cummings, Ida R. Cummings, Elizabeth Dews Hodges, Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, Erminie F. Shimm, Sarah A. Shimm, and Elizabeth N. Thomas. Other correspondence includes letters from Booker T. Washington, Bessye Beardon, Charlotte Davage, Amelia Douglass, and Harrell S. Spruill. There are also a number of greeting cards, postcards, and empty envelopes.; Series 3. Writings include essays, speeches, papers written for school, teacher's notebooks, and a diary of Erminie F. Shimm, 1903. Topics include education, Frederick Douglass, religion, race, Africa, and the temperance movement.; Series 4. Subject files on Charlene Hodges Byrd's involvement with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; Book Lovers of Charleston, West Virginia, a women's book club organized in 1923; Church Women United radio program; and The Links, Inc., a volunteer service organization. The papers on Liberia relate to missionary work, and were probably gathered by Erminie F. Shimm; and the Shimm-Thomas Collection are papers related to the deposit and later return of family items housed as a collection at Morgan State College.; Series 5. The financial and legal records include invoices and receipts, bank books, real estate tax assessments, deeds, and wills. There is also material related to the estate of Erminie F. Shimm.; Series 6. Printed materials includes books, pamphlets, newspapers, newsletters, clippings, invitations and programs. The books and pamphlets are chiefly school yearbooks and newspapers and other texts related to religion, politics, music, and poetry. Also included is a copy of Frederick Douglass's autobiography and a printed copy of his speech "The Race Problem." The clippings include obituaries, articles about Charlene Hodges Byrd and her husband Charles R. Byrd, essays by Sarah A. Shimm under the name Faith Lichen, and articles on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The invitations and programs are primarily for school graduations, weddings, social events, and funerals. Other printed material includes newsletters; business cards; calling cards; postage stamps, chiefly from Liberia; and blank postcards. The binder on Frederick Douglass was prepared by Byrd and her goddaughter for the West Virginia School Studies Fair, and includes copies of Byrd family artifacts.; Series 7. Autograph books, guest books, and scrapbooks. The autograph book of Grace E. Shimm Cummings includes autographs from Amelia Douglass, Lewis B. Douglass, Charles R. Douglass, W. H. Clair, and Francis J. Grimke. The scrapbook of Grace E. Shimm Cummings and Erminie F. Shimm consists primarily of clippings, and was assembled from an old teacher's book with a student registration and punishment pages still intact at the back.; Series 8. Miscellaneous items in the collection including artwork, a coin purse, a piece of handwoven cloth belonging to Catherine Nelson's great grandmother, and leather hair curlers.; Series 9: The textiles are chiefly christening gowns, children's garments, and an apron. Several garments belonged to Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, Charlene Hodges Byrd, and Elizabeth N. Thomas. There is also a doll that belonged to Amelia Douglass's niece, Kitty Cromwell.; Series 10. Photographs include pictures of Charlene Hodges Byrd, Joyce Ethel Hodges Cummings, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Dews Hodges, Charles Gilmor Cummings, Grace E. Shimm Cummings, Erminie F. Shimm, and other friends and relatives of the Byrd, Hodges, Cummings, Douglass, and Shimm families. Subjects are primarily portraits and candids, along with some wedding, baby, and school pictures. While some of the photographs are annotated, many of the individuals are unidentified. Included are vintage photographs, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visites, tintypes, daguerreotypes, and negatives.
Biographical/Historical note: The Shimm, Thomas, Cummings, Hodges, Davage, and related African American families chiefly lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Numerous family members worked as teachers, barbers, or in the service industry. They were active in local churches and service organizations, and had established friendships with local church leaders as well as with Frederick Douglass and his family.; The Shimm and Thomas families were located in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Thomas family can be traced back to Philip Nelson, who owned property in Leesburg, Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Family genealogical papers list Nelson as a descendent of British Admiral Horatio Nelson. This lineage, however, is not supported in publically available family histories of Horatio Nelson. Philip Nelson and his wife Araminta had five children: Catherine (b. 1805?), William, Levi (b. 1820?), Henrietta, and Grayson.; Catherine Nelson married Elias E. Thomas (b. 1816?) of Virginia in 1840. They wed in Philadelphia and had five children: Levi Nelson (b. 1841), Sarah (1843-1885), Edward (b. 1844), Elizabeth (1848-1932), and Charles (b. 1851).; Sarah Thomas married William Y. Shimm (b. 1841), a barber in Reading, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1863. They had 2 daughters, Erminie (1867-1936) and Grace (1865-1910). The Shimms lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but had moved to Washington, D.C., around 1871. Sarah was a teacher and a writer who published under the name "Faith Lichen." Her writings, primarily essays and commentaries about race and politics, were printed in several newspapers including The National Republican, The Celtic Weekly, The People's Advocate, and The Sunday Morning Gazette.; Sarah's sister Elizabeth was also a teacher in Maryland. Her brother Charles was a lawyer in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of the first class at Howard University's law school.; Erminie and Grace Shimm became teachers in the Washington, D.C., public school system. Erminie was active in her church and supportive of missionary work in Liberia. Grace married Charles Gilmor Cummings, a pastor in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 9, 1902. They had one daughter, Joyce Ethel (1903-1971), and second child in 1905 who died in infancy. Grace died in 1910 of heart failure. After her death, Grace's sister Erminie and Charles's family helped raise Joyce Ethel in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.; Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges graduated from Morgan College in 1924, and received her master's degree from Howard University in 1931. She taught at Douglass High School in Baltimore from 1924-1964. Joyce Ethel married Charles E. Hodges (1900--975) in 1927 and they divorced in 1953. The couple had one daughter, Charlene (1929-2009).; Charlene Hodges Byrd grew up in Washington, D.C., but attended the Northfield School for Girls in East Northfield, Massachusetts, for high school, graduating in 1946. She received her bachelor's degree from Connecticut College in 1950, and her master's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago in 1951. She married Charles R. Byrd (1919-2004) in 1952. They had one son in 1954, but he died four days after birth. Byrd soon began a career as a teacher and education administrator, eventually working for Kanawha County Schools in Charleston, West Virginia. She was also active in her local community as a member of the Book Lovers of Charleston, West Virginia; Church Women United; and The Links, Inc.; Charles E. Hodges was born Bridgewater, Virginia, where his father was a minister. He graduated from Morgan College in 1923 and received his master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1943. He was a teacher and served as principal of the North Street School in Hagerstown, Maryland. After he and Joyce Ethel divorced in 1953, he married Elizabeth Dews (1913-1999) in 1955.; Elizabeth Dews Hodges, born Elizabeth Virginia Waumbeeka, was adopted by James Edward (1889-1954) and Sarah Virginia Dews (1888?-1964) in Washington, D.C., in 1920. She graduated from Miner Teachers College in 1939, and worked as a teacher in Annapolis, Maryland, at Wiley H. Bates High School for 34 years. She was awarded a medal for her work there by the Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge in 1959. Elizabeth was active in local organizations in Maryland and Washington, D.C., including the SE/NE Friends of the Capitol View Branch Library; Eastern Star Chapter 4; Mount Ephraim Baptist Church; National Museum of Women in the Arts; National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples; and the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.; The Davage family is descended from Sidney Hall (b. 1818?) and Charles Davage (b. 1815?). Sidney was a former slave at the Perry Hall mansion in Baltimore, and was manumitted by 1840. She married Charles, a coachman, on April 12, 1842. They had five children: Eliza Jane (1843-1913), Sophia (b. 1847), Charlotte (b. 1849), Charles (b. 1854), and Hester (b. 1845). Their daughter Eliza Jane married Henry Cummings (b. 1830?). They had seven children: Harry Sythe (1866-1917), Charles Gilmor (1870-1924), William (b. 1882), Ida R. (1868-1958), Estelle (1874-1944), Carroll (b. 1875), Francis (b. 1872), and Aaron (1864?-1932).; Harry Sythe Cummings, a lawyer in Baltimore, became the city's first African American City Council member. He was first elected in 1890 and served intermittently until his death in 1917, often working on issues related to education. Cummings also delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in 1904 seconding the presidential nomination of Theodore Roosevelt. He married Blanche Conklin in 1899, and they had three children: Harry S. Jr. (b. 1905), Lucille (d. 1906), and Louise.; Charles Gilmor Cummings graduated from Drew Theological Seminary in 1898, and was a pastor in Alexandria, Virginia and elsewhere. After the death of his wife Grace in 1910, he married Rosa Catherine Bearden, grandmother of artist Romare Bearden, in 1912.; Ida R. Cummings graduated from Morgan College in 1922, and was the first African American kindergarten teacher in Baltimore. She was also active in local organizations, and was president of the Colored Fresh Air and Empty Stocking Circle; chairman of the Woman's Section Council of Defense in Baltimore during the World War, 1914-1918; and president of the Woman's Campaign Bureau of the Colored Republican Voters' League of Maryland.
Conditions Governing Access note: Access to collection requires appointment.

creator: Byrd, Charlene Hodges, 1929-2009
name: Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988; Cummings, Ida R., (Ida Rebecca), 1868-1958; Douglass, Frederick, 1817?-1895; Grimke, Francis J., (Francis James), 1850-1937; Hodges, Joyce Ethel Cummings, 1903-1971; Morgan State College.; Shimm, Erminie F., (Erminie Florence), 1867-1936; Shimm, Sarah A., 1843-1885; Thomas, Elizabeth N., (Elizabeth Nelson), d. 1932; Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915

inclusive dates: circa 1750-2009
bulk dates: bulk 1880-1960

topic: African American churches; African American educators; African American families; African American newspapers; African American women journalists; African American--Social life and customs; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Maryland; African Americans--Pennsylvania; African Americans--Photographs; African Americans--Washington (D.C.)

object type: Archival materials

Data source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

place: Washington (D.C.)

Five figurines in the form of caricatured male musicians

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1930-1940s

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Minstrel (Music); Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: ceramic
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.141.1): 2 15/16 × 1 15/16 × 1 1/2 in. (7.5 × 4.9 × 3.8 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.2): 2 3/4 × 1 7/16 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.7 × 3.8 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.3): 2 3/4 × 1 11/16 × 1 3/4 in. (7 × 4.3 × 4.4 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.4): 2 3/4 × 1 5/8 × 1 1/8 in. (7 × 4.1 × 2.9 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.5): 2 11/16 × 1 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 4.4 × 3.8 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: figurines

Object number: 2007.7.141.1-.5

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: wood , paint and metal
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.204a-d): 14 1/8 × 9 7/8 × 3 13/16 in. (35.9 × 25.1 × 9.7 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204a): 12 1/4 × 3 × 2 in. (31.1 × 7.6 × 5.1 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204a & d): 12 7/8 × 3 × 2 in. (32.7 × 7.6 × 5.1 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204b): 9 1/2 × 1/4 × 1/4 in. (24.1 × 0.6 × 0.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204c): 1 7/8 × 9 7/8 × 3 13/16 in. (4.8 × 25.1 × 9.7 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204d): 3/4 × 1 1/16 × 1 1/16 in. (1.9 × 2.7 × 2.7 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: dolls

Object number: 2007.7.204a-d

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: paint on wood , metal
Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (30.8 x 14 x 11.4 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: walking dolls

Object number: 2007.7.206

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: paint on wood
Dimensions: 13 7/8 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (35.2 x 13.3 x 14 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: walking dolls

Object number: 2007.7.207

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Coin bank in the form of "Mammy"

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1925

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Domestic life; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: cast iron
Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 5 x 3 1/4 in. (19.1 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: banks (containers)

Object number: 2007.7.211

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Coin bank in the form of "Mammy"

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1925

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Domestic life; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: cast iron
Dimensions: 12 x 7 1/2 x 5 in. (30.5 x 19.1 x 12.7 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: banks (containers)

Object number: 2007.7.217

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Puppet with stand in the form of a caricatured man

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: Paint on wood with metal, plastic and felt
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.233abc): 13 3/4 × 8 3/8 × 11 1/2 in. (34.9 × 21.3 × 29.2 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233a): 13 1/4 × 4 × 11 1/4 in. (33.7 × 10.2 × 28.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233b): 11 × 8 3/8 × 11 1/2 in. (27.9 × 21.3 × 29.2 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233c): 2 3/4 × 3/16 × 3/16 in. (7 × 0.5 × 0.5 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: puppets

Object number: 2007.7.233abc

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Bean bag toss board depicting a caricature of a clown

Created by: Unidentified

Date: 1930-1950

Topic: African American; Amusements; Caricature and cartoons; Play; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: paint on wood with metal
Dimensions: 14 9/16 x 15 3/4 x 12 in. (37 x 40 x 30.5 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games

Type: gameboards

Object number: 2007.7.264

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: paint on wood and metal
Dimensions: 13 5/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 3/4 in. (34.6 x 7.9 x 7 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: dolls

Object number: 2007.7.267

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Drum hand-painted depicting caricatures of nine male faces

Date: ca. 1925

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Music; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: wood, metal, hide and paint
Dimensions: 20 1/2 x 17 7/8 x 6 1/2 in. (52.1 x 45.4 x 16.5 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Musical Instruments
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: drums (membranophones)

Object number: 2007.7.444

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Box and tube of "Darkie" brand toothpaste

Manufactured by: Hawley & Hazel Group, Chinese, founded 1933

Date: 1933-1985

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Health; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: cardboard, metal, plastic and inorganic material
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.463.1): 5 × 1 1/2 × 1 in. (12.7 × 3.8 × 2.5 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.463.2ab): 4 3/8 × 1 3/8 × 7/8 in. (11.1 × 3.5 × 2.2 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Tools and Equipment-Personal use
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: toothpaste

Object number: 2007.7.463.1-.2ab

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Place made: Thailand, Asia

Pin-back button advertising Amos 'n' Andy Fresh Air Candy

Manufactured by: Green Duck Company, American, 1906 - 2004

Date: ca. 1935

Topic: African American; Advertising; Amusements; Stereotypes

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Medium: ink on metal
Dimensions: H x W x D: 1 × 13/16 × 3/16 in. (2.5 × 2.1 × 0.4 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Memorabilia and Ephemera-Advertisements
Exhibition: Taking the Stage
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 054

Type: buttons (information artifacts)

Object number: 2007.7.475

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Place made: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Badge from Madam C.J. Walker convention

Caption: Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919) was an African American entrepreneur, educator and philanthropist. Her company manufactured, distributed, and sold hair care products developed for black women. She also established beauty schools across the country that trained women to work as agents, known as “hair culturists.” Walker’s beauty schools and manufacturing company offered unique opportunities for African American women when there were few job options beyond domestic service and manual labor. Pins such as this one were awarded to successful agents at annual conventions.

Created by: Bastian Brothers Company, American, founded 1895
Subject of: Walker, Madam C.J., American, 1867 - 1919
Photograph by: Addison Scurlock, American, 1883 - 1964
Subject of: Walker, Madam C.J. Manufacturing Company, American, founded 1906; Gause, Alice

Date: ca. 1920s

Topic: African American; Business; Women

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Patricia Heaston

Medium: brass (alloy), gold, lithographic ink on paper, metal, plastic and nitrocellulose
Dimensions: H x W: 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 x 5/16 in. (11 x 6.1 x 0.8 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Memorabilia and Ephemera
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: portraits; badges

Object number: 2008.15.2

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Place collected: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States

Southern Railway No. 1200

Created by: Pullman Palace Car Company, American, 1867 - 1981
Used by: Southern Railway Company, American, 1894 - 1990

Date: 1922

Topic: African American; Segregation; Transportation; Travel; United States--History--1919-1933

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pete Claussen and Gulf and Ohio Railways

Medium: steel and glass
Dimensions: H x W: 170 x 120 in., 153900 lb., 936 in. (431.8 x 304.8 cm, 69808.6 kg, 2377.4 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Transportation Vehicles
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Type: passenger cars

Object number: 2009.28

Title: Railroad passenger car from the "Jim Crow" era

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Boss

Created by: Polk, P. H., American, 1898 - 1984
Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women

Date: 1932

Topic: African American; Agriculture; Photography; Women

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Delano A. Willis

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W: 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Type: gelatin silver prints; portraits

Object number: 2009.30.1

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Place captured: Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

George Washington Carver in Laboratory

Created by: Polk, P. H., American, 1898 - 1984
Subject of: Carver, George Washington, American, 1860s - 1943

Date: ca. 1930

Topic: African American; Education; Photography; Science

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Delano A. Willis

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W (Image and Sheet): 9 7/16 × 7 3/8 in. (24 × 18.7 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Type: gelatin silver prints; portraits

Object number: 2009.30.2

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Place captured: Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

US Navy dress jumper worn by Lorenzo DuFau on USS Mason

Manufactured by: United States Navy, American, founded 1775
Worn by: DuFau, Lorenzo A., American, 1920 - 2015

Date: 1944-1945

Topic: African American; Clothing and dress; Military; Race relations; World War II

Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Lorenzo A. DuFau

Medium: wool, cloth tape, and plastic buttons
Dimensions: H x W x D (on form): 27 1/2 × 25 × 11 in. (69.9 × 63.5 × 27.9 cm); H x W (flat): 27 1/4 × 17 in. (69.2 × 43.2 cm)

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing-Historical
Exhibition: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 053