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Boombox carried by Radio Raheem in the film Do the Right Thing

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Manufactured by

    Tecsonic, South Korean

    Used by

    Bill Nunn, American, 1952 - 2016

    Signed by

    Spike Lee, American, born 1957

    Owned by

    Gene Siskel, American, 1946 - 1999

    Subject of

    Public Enemy, American, founded 1982

    Description

    A Promax Super Jumbo boombox (2014.270.2.1a) used as a prop by the character Radio Raheem in the Spike Lee directed picture, "Do the Right Thing". The boombox includes a dual audio casette tape deck, an equilizer section, radio dial, colored light display, and a pair each of 8" subwoofers, midranges, and tweeters. There are sections of red, yellow, and green electical tape with black ink text on the sides and top of the player. There are also rectangular black, green, and yellow "Public Enemy" stickers adhered to both sides of the player. On the lower back of the boombox is handwritten text in gold ink reading [BROOKLYN, N.Y. / 3/17/90 / To Gene / RADIO RAHEEM LIVES / LOVE, Spike Lee / "FIGHT THE POWER"]. There is a metal handle attached to the top of the player, around which two braided bracelets (black-and-white 2014.270.2.1b, colored 2014.270.2.1c) and multi-colored printed cloth (2014.270.2.1d) have been tied. The "rewind" button on the proper right tape deck has fallen off (2014.270.2.1e). The boombox had an audio cassette in the proper right deck (2014.270.2.2), titled "JAZZ CLUB / Vocal". The cassette is off-white with black text and is printed with track titles, manufacturing information, and serial number.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Date

    1989

    Object number

    2014.270.2

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    audio equipment

    Medium

    plastic, metal, wire, cloth, pressure-sensitive tape, ink

    Dimensions

    H x W x D (2014.270.2.1a Handle Up): 19 1/2 × 31 1/4 × 9 in. (49.5 × 79.4 × 22.9 cm)

    Place used

    Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Classification

    Props and Set Design

    Exhibition

    A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond

    On View

    NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 1, C1 053

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Film
    Hip-hop (Music)
    Urban life

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd54128e04e-eefb-4683-b41d-6cd0f099b052

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2014.270.2

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