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Museum object · Photographs and Still Images

Photograph of Madam C.J. Walker

ca. 1912

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Source image for Photograph of Madam C.J. WalkerLoading image…
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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Black and white photographic bust length portrait of Madam C.J. Walker. Sitting sideways, her head is turned slightly right towards the viewer. Her gaze is to the lower right. Her hair is smooth, parted in the middle, and falls to ear length, and tucked under. She wears drop earrings and a necklace. An intricately fringed shawl is draped around her shoulders and held in place by a brooch. The bottom left quadrant of the image is partially shadowed. The photograph is surrounded by a white border with an embossed maker's mark at the bottom right. It reads "Scurlock / WASH. D.C."

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2013.153.8

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