- On View
- Musical Crossroads Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Exhibition
- Musical Crossroads
- Created by
- Ayers, Lemuel, American, 1915 - 1955
- Date
- 1945
- Medium
- watercolor, graphite and ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 19 x 12 in. (48.3 x 30.5 cm)
- Description
- A watercolor sketch by Lemuel Ayers of a costume for the musical "St. Louis Woman", as performed in 1946. This costume is for the character "Girl #7." At the center of the sheet of paper is a light sketch in pencil painted over in watercolor of a woman wearing a pink dress with a patterned full length skirt, a white pleated bodice with a high, ruffled collar and a brooch at the neck, a pink jacket with ruffled sleeves in a leg of mutton style (very full at the shoulder and narrow from elbow to wrist), a flower rosette at her waist, and a pink hat with yellow brim decorated with flowers and bows. The woman is wearing maroon colored shoes, and she is holding a pink parasol by the handle in her left hand and the tip in her right hand. The woman has her hair styled in an updo, with pink lipstick and a beauty mark below her right eye. The background of the sketch is a light blue wash with some brushstrokes in a darker blue to indicate the wall and floorboards. At the upper left hand corner is handwritten in ink on top of a small patch of green: [Sk. #100]. At the bottom left corner is the painted text: ["St. Louis Woman" / Girl # 7]. At the bottom right corner, Ayers' signature is faintly visible. Below the signature is handwritten in black ink: [70017 / Act I Sc. 1]. Below this is the hand painted text in red: [SARATOGA].
- Classification
- Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
- Type
- design drawings
- Topic
- Art
- Costume design
- Design
- Musical Theatre
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2011.57.45.4
- Restrictions & Rights
- Unknown - Restrictions Possible
- Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




