- Photograph by
- Platon, British, born 1968
- Subject of
- McCain, Franklin, American, 1941 - 2014
- McNeil, Joseph, American, born 1942
- F. W. Woolworth Company, American, 1879 - 1997
- International Civil Rights Center & Museum, American, founded 2010
- Date
- 2009; printed 2019
- Medium
- pigment on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (image): 14 7/16 × 21 1/2 in. (36.7 × 54.6 cm)
- H x W (sheet): 20 × 24 in. (50.8 × 61 cm)
- H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
- Description
- A black-and-white photograph of Joseph A. McNeil and Franklin E. McCain, by Platon. McNeil and McCain are depicted leaning on the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are standing on the service side of the counter, opposite a row of lunch counter stools with metal seat frames, plastic seats, and metal spindle backrests. McNeil is depicted in the far-left foreground, with his proper left elbow and right forearm resting on the counter and his face cradled in his proper left hand. He is wearing a medium tone suit with widely spaced thin, light stripes. He is also wearing a white dress shirt, matching tie, frameless glasses, and a watch with a thick metal band. McCain, depicted on the right, is resting both forearms on the counter with his fingers laced together in front of him. He is wearing a dark toned suit jacket, white dress shirt, a diagonally striped tie, and square, wireframed glasses. The photograph was taken from an upwards perspective, at counter level. Both men’s heads are slightly turned, and they are looking down towards the viewer. In the background is the rest of the diner which has horizontally striped walls, a square tile floor, a square pillar, and four rows of round light fixtures. The photograph has a thick white border. The edition number, [5/12], is printed in the bottom left corner. The photographer’s signature and date, [Platon 19], is handwritten in the bottom right corner. Inside the border, at the bottom center, is the photographer’s embossed mark: [PLATON ? / EDITIONED ? / PRINT ?[encircled between two bands of embossed dots]]. The back of the photograph is plain and white.
- Place printed
- New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place captured
- Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Photographs and Still Images
- Type
- pigment prints
- portraits
- Topic
- Activism
- American South
- Civil rights
- Cooking and dining
- Museums
- Photography
- Race discrimination
- Segregation
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon
- Object number
- 2021.33.13
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Platon
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




