Photograph by

Olson, Martha, American

Subject of

Patton, Lovie, American

Patton, Edgar Earl, American

Patton, Brady, American

Date

1970

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 9 13/16 × 7 5/16 in. (24.9 × 18.6 cm)

H x W (Sheet): 16 3/4 × 14 5/8 in. (42.5 × 37.1 cm)

H x W (Frame): 19 13/16 × 17 5/8 in. (50.3 × 44.8 cm)

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 black and white photograph of (from left to right), Edgar Earl Patton, Brady Patton, and Lovie Patton. The three are featured standing in front of a building. Edgar is only partially visible; the two boys stand to the lower left side of the photograph. Lovie Patton, their grandmother, stands at center. Another person is partially visible on the porch in the background of the photograph. The back of the frame has several inscriptions about the subject of the photograph, the photographer, and numbers. A label on the back of the frame reads: [Ms. Lovie Patton with her grandson's / 1st Year of School Integration of MS]. Metal hooks and picture wire are attached to the back of the frame.

Place depicted

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

Portfolio/Series

Marion County Mississippi: 1970-1971

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Topic

American South

Children

Communities

Families

Motherhood

Photography

Rural life

Credit Line

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

Object number

2018.21.28

Restrictions & Rights

© Martha Olson

Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd569d84542-b37d-472c-97ef-b3a46d84f47c