Portrait of Ida Mae Nelson and her mom Irean Johnson

Photograph by

Olson, Martha, American

Subject of

Nelson, Ida Mae, American

Johnson, Irean, American

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.2 × 20.3 cm)

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Place depicted

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 Ida Mae Nelson (left) and her mom Irean Johnson (right). Both women are standing outside of a house and facing the camera. Nelson wears a top with a sweater over her shoulders and striped bell-bottom pants. She is holding a chain in her hands. Johnson wears a button-up shirt over a tunic and bell-bottom jeans. A car is visible in the background. A house is partially visible on the right side of the image. On the back of the photograph are handwritten inscriptions identifying the subject, date, and photographer.

Topic

African American

American South

Communities

Domestic life

Families

Motherhood

Photography

Rural life

Youth

Credit Line

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

Object number

2018.21.93

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