Portrait of Otho Barnes

Photograph by

Olson, Martha, American

Subject of

Barnes, Otho, American, 1876 - 1975

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 10 × 8 in. (25.4 × 20.3 cm)

H x W (Paper Frame Closed): 17 × 14 1/16 in. (43.2 × 35.7 cm)

H x W (Paper Frame Open): 17 × 28 1/16 in. (43.2 × 71.3 cm)

Type

gelatin silver 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 black and white photograph of Otho Barnes. Barnes is seated in a chair wearing long-sleeved shirt, pants, and suspenders. A folding chair is folded up behind the chair Barnes is sitting in. The photograph is mounted to a paper frame by plastic photo corners. [Mr. Otho Barnes / 1970 / Martha Olson] is handwritten in pencil on the interior frame below the photograph. On the back of the photograph ahandwritten inscription reads [Mr. Otho Barnes, 95 years old, Marion County, Columbia, MS 1970].

Topic

African American

American South

Communities

Domestic life

Photography

Rural life

Credit Line

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

Object number

2018.21.51

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