Written by
Hughes, Langston, American, 1902 - 1967
Subject of
Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976
Date
1944
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (2019.28.30a): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30b): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30c): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30d): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30e): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30f): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30g): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30h): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30i): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30j): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30k): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30l): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30m): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30n): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30o): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30p): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30q): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30r): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30s): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30t): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30u): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
H x W (2019.28.30v): 13 3/4 × 8 1/4 in. (35 × 21 cm)
Description
A radio play titled “The Man Who Went to War” by Langston Hughes. The play is typed on twenty-two off-white pages in black ink. The first page has [“THE MAN WHO WENT TO WAR” / by / Langston Hughes] typed at the top. Typed below the title is an introduction to be read by Paul Robeson. It begins [Hello, Britain. This is Paul Robeson speaking to you / from New York. Tonight we are bringing you a new / play by one of our leading poets, Langston Hughes. / It is called, “The Man Who Went to War”, and it is / acted and sung for you by an all-Negro cast, - just / a few of your thirteen million Negro allies in the / United States. We, too, are a part of this great / global war against fascism. Many of us are on the / Allied fighting fronts all around the world from New / Guinea to Italy, Fighting side by side with the / soldiers of all the United Nations…] The play begins at the bottom of the first page. It is about an African American soldier named Johnny who decides to join the war and his family that stays behind. Several songs are included in the play. The other twenty-one pages of the play are numbered at the top. The backs of the pages are blank.
Place depicted
United States, North and Central America
Place used
England, Europe
Classification
Documents and Manuscripts
Type
plays
Topic
Actors
Drama (Theatre)
Literature
Race relations
Radio
Singers (Musicians)
World War II
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2019.28.30a-v
Restrictions & Rights
© Estate of Langston Hughes
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ae5b7969-943a-48e8-8cdf-eef593106bb3

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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