On View
Taking the Stage Gallery
Exhibition
Taking the Stage
Designed by
Rodgers, Aggie Guerard, American, born 1943
Manufactured by
Palace Costume Company, American, founded 1990
Worn by
Goldberg, Whoopi, American, born 1955
Subject of
Walker, Alice, American, born 1944
Date
1985
Medium
cotton with mother of pearl and plastic buttons
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 52 1/4 × 21 1/2 × 14 1/2 in. (132.7 × 54.6 × 36.8 cm)
Description
White cotton dress with blue trim worn by Whoopi Goldberg as the character Celie Harris Johnson in the film "The Color Purple." The white cotton is printed in black with a small repeating geometric design. The dress has elbow-length sleeves trimmed in blue cotton. The blue cotton is also sewn around the waistband, at the neck, and along the top of a patch pocket with a diagonal opening on the proper right hip of the A-line skirt. The blue band on the front of the neck crosses under the two blue side bands, with four (4) round mother of pearl buttons, one at each pointed end of the bands. The dress closes at the center back bodice with three (3) round buttons, two mother of pearl and one clear plastic. The dress is not lined. There are two labels along the interior proper left button band on the back bodice, the top label is a barcode adhered directly to the fabric with printed text above the barcode reading "PALACE COSTUME CO." and text below the barcode reading "37500868"; the bottom label is an off-white clothing tag with handwritten text in black reading "D113" above printed text reading "Palace Costume Co."
Place used
North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
California, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Type
dresses
Topic
Actors
Clothing and dress
Costume
Costume design
Design
Families
Film
Gender
LGBTQ
Literature
Sexuality
Violence
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.184.2
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd59121fe1d-34c5-4108-addf-f220e6a8c5a8

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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