Object Details
Artist
Carl Van Vechten, 17 Jun 1880 - 21 Dec 1964
Sitter
Ada "Bricktop" Smith, 14 Aug 1894 - 31 Jan 1984
Exhibition Label
Born Alderson, West Virginia
The most renowned nightclubs in interwar Paris operated under the name of “Bricktop’s.” Their magnetic host and enterprising owner, Ada “Bricktop” Smith, had been lured across the Atlantic in 1924 by a job offer at a Montmartre nightspot. “It was a spur-of-the moment thing, a new adventure just for the sake of adventure,” she recalled.
The risk paid off, and over the next decade Bricktop ran a succession of clubs bearing her name. Operating in a country that lacked legalized segregation, she gathered a diverse crowd. African Americans in Paris found a second home at Bricktop’s. White patrons flocked there to enjoy the latest music and dances from Harlem.
A subdued Bricktop posed for this photograph in 1934. At that time, her business was in steep decline. She smiles ruefully at the photographer, her friend Carl Van Vechten, before a poster advertising champagne—the beverage that once flowed freely at her clubs.
Nacida en Alderson, Virginia Occidental
Los clubes nocturnos más célebres del período entreguerras en París llevaban el nombre “Bricktop’s”. Pertenecían a la magnética presentadora y empresaria Ada “Bricktop” Smith, quien cruzó el Atlántico en 1924 atraída por una oferta de empleo en Montmartre. “Fue algo impulsivo, una aventura nueva por el simple hecho de la aventura”, recordó.
El riesgo valió la pena, y en la década siguiente Bricktop manejó una serie de clubes con su nombre. En un país donde la segregación no estaba legalizada, Bricktop atrajo a públicos diversos. Los afroamericanos encontraron un segundo hogar en sus locales. Los blancos acudían para disfrutar lo último de la música y los bailes de Harlem.
Bricktop asume una pose discreta en esta imagen de 1934, cuando ya su negocio iba en picada. Sonríe con tristeza al fotógrafo, su amigo Carl Van Vechten, ante un cartel que anuncia un champán, bebida que en otros tiempos fluía en abundancia en sus clubes.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Date
June 22, 1934
Object number
NPG.90.85
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Van Vechten Trust
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image/Sheet: 27.9 × 35.6 cm (11 × 14")
Mat: 55.9 × 71.1 cm (22 × 28")
Place
France\Île-de-France\Ville de Paris, Départment de\Paris
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Necklace
Costume\Headgear\Hat
Exterior
Artwork\Poster
Ada "Bricktop" Smith: Female
Ada "Bricktop" Smith: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Dance\Dancer
Ada "Bricktop" Smith: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer\Jazz singer
Ada "Bricktop" Smith: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Proprietor\Nightclub
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.90.85