Marian Anderson sings at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Object Details

Artist

Arthur Ellis, 1912 - 3 Feb 1989

Sitter

Marian Anderson, 27 Feb 1897 - 8 Apr 1993

Unidentified Man

Associated Person

Abraham Lincoln, 12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865

Exhibition Label

On April 9, 1939, Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a desegregated crowd of 75,000 people. This had not been her intended stage. The concert’s organizer, Howard University, had initially contacted the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and then the D.C. Board of Education about renting a large venue to accommodate her many fans. Both organizations, however, upheld segregationist policies and turned down the university’s request. A national controversy ensued, one that highlighted discrimination in the United States. Reporters repeatedly asked Anderson if she had anything to say. As with prior segregation-related disputes, she remained relatively silent. Years later, in her 1956 autobiography My Lord, What a Morning, she explained that she “did not want to talk” and especially “did not want to say anything about the D.A.R.” This would not be the last time that Anderson would feel reticent about confronting issues of race.

El 9 de abril de 1939, Marian Anderson cantó en las escalinatas del Monumento a Lincoln ante una multitud no segregada de 75,000 personas. Este no era el escenario que había planeado. La organizadora del concierto, la Universidad Howard, había contactado inicialmente a las Hijas de la Revolución Americana (DAR) y luego al Consejo de Educación de Washington D.C. para alquilar un gran recinto donde cupieran los muchos admiradores de la cantante. Ambas organizaciones, sin embargo, tenían políticas segregacionistas y rechazaron la solicitud de la universidad. Esto resultó en una controversia a nivel nacional, que puso de relieve la discriminación en Estados Unidos.

Los reporteros preguntaron a Anderson repetidamente si tenía algún comentario. Al igual que con disputas anteriores relacionadas con la segregación, la cantante mantuvo un relativo silencio. Años más tarde, en su autobiografía de 1956 titulada Dios mío, qué mañana, explicó que “no quería hablar” y que especialmente “no quería decir nada sobre la D.A.R.”. Esta no sería la última vez que Anderson se mostraría reticente a confrontar problemas raciales.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Estate of Frederica Ellis, wife of Arthur J. Ellis) The Corcoran Gallery of Art, one of the country’s first private museums, was established in 1869 to promote art and American genius. In 2014 the Works from the Corcoran Collection were distributed to institutions in Washington, D.C.

April 9, 1939

Object number

NPG.2019.45

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Photograph

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 34.8 × 27.6 cm (13 11/16 × 10 7/8")

Sheet: 35.6 × 28.3 cm (14 × 11 1/8")

Mat: 50.8 × 40.6 cm (20 × 16")

Place

United States\District of Columbia\Washington\parks\The Mall

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Jewelry\Necklace

Music\Musical instrument\Piano

Equipment\Sound Devices\Microphone

Architecture\Column

Exterior\Exterior with Interior View

Artwork\Sculpture\Statue

Costume\Outerwear\Coat\Fur

Architecture\Stairs

Unidentified Man: Male

Marian Anderson: Female

Marian Anderson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Opera singer

Marian Anderson: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher\Music

Marian Anderson: Presidential Medal of Freedom

Marian Anderson: Congressional Gold Medal

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.2019.45

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d28a79a1-efc1-42a7-874d-a4458545b0fa