Portrait of a student at Marion County High

Photograph by

Olson, Martha, American

Subject of

Unidentified Woman or Women

Medium

dye and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 4 5/8 × 3 1/8 in. (11.7 × 7.9 cm)

H x W (Sheet): 5 × 3 1/2 in. (12.7 × 8.9 cm)

Type

chromogenic color prints

portraits

Place depicted

Columbia, Marion County, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America

Date

1970

Caption

Martha Olson graduated from Northwestern University with her B.A. in Art in 1969, and within a year, she was working more than 800 miles away as the girls’ physical education teacher at Marion High School in Columbia, Mississippi. It was the first year of integration in Mississippi public schools. During that time, Olson photographed local students, their relatives, and other residents of Marion County, which she later compiled into a series entitled, "Marion County Mississippi: 1970-1971."

Description

A color photograph of a student at Marion County High, possibly Mary Gola. Mary is featured from the chest up, sitting in a metal folding chair. She wears a brown and orange checkered top with an orange tie at center. Other metal chairs and bleachers are partially visible in the background of the image. There is a pre-printed date on the top of the image paper that reads [Dec 70]. On the back of the photograph are handwritten inscriptions identifying the subject, date, and photographer.

Topic

African American

American South

Communities

Education

Photography

Youth

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Martha Olson

Object number

2018.21.120

Restrictions & Rights

© Martha Olson

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Portfolio/Series

Marion County Mississippi: 1970-1971

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture