Headshot portrait of Melba Moore as Purlie character Lutiebelle

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.

A sepia tone portrait photograph of Melba Moore in character as Lutiebelle from her 1970 Broadway performance of Purlie. The large format photograph depicts Moore dressed as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins with a round hat, pigtails tied with ribbon bows, and a lace top over a striped blouse. She is captured in front of a stage wood plank wall and smiling. The headshot is printed from edge to edge of the paper and adhered to a thick brown wove paper cardboard backing. There are no markings on the reverse of the backing.

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