Slow Fade to Black: Josephine Baker

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 inkjet print (a) of Josephine Baker in a green frame (b). The photograph (a) is intentionally out of focus. The figure of Josephine Baker is facing the camera holding white fabric down the center of her body and leaving the rest of her skin visible. The fabric pools at the floor around her feet. Her arms are bent and resting on her chest. Baker is mostly in shadow with her face, the white fabric in the center of her body, and the fabric behind her feet highlighted. The background is a plain backdrop. The original photograph shows the shimmering fabric Baker is holding to her chest and how it is arranged to lay over the elevated platform on which Baker stands. She has strings of pearls wrapped around her hands which fall to her knees and is wearing a layered necklace and hoop earrings.

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