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Reverend John Lewis

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Photograph by

    Platon, British, born 1968

    Subject of

    John Lewis, American, 1940 - 2020

    Description

    A black-and-white photograph of the Reverend John Lewis, by Platon. The photograph depicts Lewis standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. He is shown in the left foreground, standing with his back to the memorial. The photograph’s perspective is from an angle that looks up at Lewis from about knee level. He is facing the left edge of the photograph and has his head turned partially in the direction of the viewer. He is looking upwards and into the distance and wears a serious expression on his face. His arms are held in front of him at his waist and he is loosely clasping his fingers together. He is wearing a long, dark overcoat, a white dress shirt, and a dark tone tie. There is a light, pentagon shaped patch over his proper left chest. In the background, on the right, is a corner of the Lincoln Memorial. Its fluted, Doric columns wrap around the base of the exterior. Each side of the memorial is lined with large bushes. Above Lewis and the memorial is a cloudy sky. The photograph has a thick white border. The edition number, [5/12], is printed in the bottom left corner. The photographer’s signature and date, [Platon 19], is handwritten in the bottom right corner. Inside the border, at the bottom center, is the photographer’s embossed mark: [PLATON ? / EDITIONED ? / PRINT ?[encircled between two bands of embossed dots]]. The back of the photograph is plain and white.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon

    Date

    2010; printed 2019

    Object number

    2021.33.2

    Restrictions & Rights

    © Platon
    Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    pigment prints
    portraits

    Medium

    pigment on paper

    Dimensions

    H x W (image): 14 11/16 × 21 9/16 in. (37.3 × 54.7 cm)
    H x W (sheet): 20 × 24 in. (50.8 × 61 cm)
    H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)

    Place printed

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

    Place captured

    Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Classification

    Photographs and Still Images

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Activism
    Civil Rights
    Government
    Local and regional
    Photography
    Religion

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd556d329d6-11d4-4a33-8427-3503cdf5d61b

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2021.33.2

    Discover More

    Dr. King Holding Arms; Dr. King, John Lewis, Reverend Jessie Douglas, and James Farmer

    Remembering Congressman John R. Lewis

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