Mississippi Freedom Marcher, Washington, DC

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Roy DeCarava, Mississippi Freedom Marcher, Washington, DC, 1963, printed 1982, gelatin silver print, sheet: 10 ⁷⁄₈ x 13 ⁷⁄₈ in. (27.6 x 35.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Henry L. Milmore, 1992.15.1, © 1982, Roy DeCarava

Artwork Details

Title: Mississippi Freedom Marcher, Washington, DC
Artist: Roy DeCarava
Date: 1963, printed 1982
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sheet: 10 ⁷⁄₈ x 13 ⁷⁄₈ in. (27.6 x 35.2 cm.)
Copyright: © 1982, Roy DeCarava
Credit Line: Museum purchase made possible by Henry L. Milmore
Mediums Description: gelatin silver print
Classifications: Photography
Photoprint
Subjects: Figure female
African American
Cityscape — District of Columbia — Washington
History — United States — Black History
History — United States — Civil Rights Movement
History — United States — Mississippi
Object Number: 1992.15.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.15.1

Artwork Description

In the 1950s and 1960s, DeCarava traveled throughout the northeast and the south working as a freelance photographer, an experience that gave him the opportunity to observe the civil rights movement firsthand. DeCarava’s skill with portraiture is notable in Mississippi Freedom Marcher. The subtle gray tonality and close focus establish a sense of emotional intimacy between viewer and subject.

African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012