Portrait of a student at Marion County High

Photograph by

Olson, Martha, American

Subject of

Unidentified Woman or Women

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.2 × 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

1970-1971

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 an unidentified girl at Marion High School, possibly Mary Gola. She is featured from the chest up and is seated in a metal folding chair, looking off into the distance. She is wearing a checkered dress with a long ribbon that is tied at the collar. The photograph is mounted to a paper frame. 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

2018.21.72

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