Tommie Smith and John Carlos
- Photograph by
- Platon, British, born 1968
- Subject of
- Smith, Tommie, American, born 1944
- Carlos, John Wesley Ph. D., American, born 1945
- Date
- 2009; printed 2019
- Medium
- pigment on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (image): 21 × 20 in. (53.3 × 50.8 cm)
- H x W (sheet): 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
- H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
- Description
- A black-and-white photograph of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, by Platon. The photograph depicts them standing side-by-side, each with an arm raised in a black power fist. Smith, shown left, and Carlos, shown right, are shown from the thighs up, fully facing the viewer. Carlos is partially behind Smith’s proper left shoulder. Smith’s chin is tilted slightly downwards, and his eyes are closed, while Carlos’ head is raised, and he is looking directly at the viewer. Smith’s proper right arm is raised above his head and his proper right hand, encased in a thick leather glove, is raised into a black power fist above his head. Carlos’ proper left hand, also encased in a thick leather glove, is similarly raised into a black power fist above his head. Smith is wearing a dark tone argyle sweater with a short zipper at the collar and dark tone trousers with thin pinstripes. His proper right sleeve is pushed up above the elbow of his upraised arm. Carlos is wearing a dark tone sweater short zipper at the neck and an upturned collar. His proper left sleeve is pushed up above the elbow of his upraised arm. He is also wearing a dark tone tee shirt, a metal chain necklace with a metal pendant, and dark tone patterned trousers. The background of the photograph is bright white. 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
- Classification
- Photographs and Still Images
- Type
- pigment prints
- portraits
- inkjet prints
- Topic
- Activism
- Athletes
- Black power
- Civil rights
- Olympics
- Photography
- Track and field
- U.S. History, 1961-1969
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon
- Object number
- 2021.33.5
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Platon
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.