Skip to main content

Search

Donate

Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Hours and Admission
    • Tips and Guidelines
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Accessibility
    • Group Visits
    • Dining
    • Museum Stores
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX Theaters
  • Explore
    • Art & Design
    • History & Culture
    • Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Smithsonian Snapshot
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile Apps
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer and Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
  • Learn
    • For Kids and Teens
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Professional Development
      • Events
    • Youth Programs
    • Fellowships and Internships
  • Join Us
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Work with Us
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • About Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Make a Gift
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Organization
      • Secretary Bunch
      • Administration
      • Advancement
      • Communications
      • Education
      • Museums and Culture
      • Science and Research
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Records Request Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Maya Angelou, Algonquin Hotel, New York, NY, 1987

National Portrait Gallery

Addthis Share Tools

    • Print

Object Details

Artist
Brigitte Lacombe, born 23 Dec 1950
Sitter
Maya Angelou, 4 Apr 1928 - 28 May 2014
Exhibition Label
Born St. Louis, Missouri
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969, Maya Angelou (1928–2014) launched a series of seven remarkable autobiographical novels. The books span several years, shedding light on her difficult childhood, when she shuttled back and forth between relatives in the North and South; her starring role in Porgy and Bess during its extended international tour in the 1950s; and her tireless work in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou renamed herself in adulthood. A politically engaged writer, she was also a widely published poet, whose work was most powerful when recited by its author. This was certainly the case when she read her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” for an audience of millions at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. In 2011, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Brigitte Lacombe (born 1950)
Inkjet print, 1987 (printed 2012) NPG.2012.48
Maya Angelou, Hotel Algonquin, Ciudad de Nueva York
Nacida en St. Louis, Misuri
Con la publicación de Yo sé por qué canta el pájaro enjaulado en 1969, Maya Angelou (1928–2014) inició una serie de siete novelas autobiográficas excepcionales. Los libros arrojan luz sobre su niñez difícil –turnándose entre las casas de distintos familiares en el norte y el sur del país–, su rol protagónico en Porgy and Bess durante una extensa gira en la década de 1950 y su incansable labor en el movimiento pro derechos civiles en los cincuenta y sesenta.
Nacida Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou cambió su nombre ya de adulta. Además de sus textos de compromiso político, fue una poeta fecunda cuyas obras cobraban su plena fuerza cuando las recitaba ella misma. Así fue cuando leyó el poema “El pulso de la mañana” ante millones de personas en la investidura del presidente Bill Clinton en 1993. En 2011 recibió la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad de manos del presidente Barack Obama.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1987 (printed 2012)
Object number
NPG.2012.48
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Brigitte Lacombe
Type
Photograph
Medium
Inkjet print
Dimensions
Image: 45.3 x 44.8 cm (17 13/16 x 17 5/8")
Sheet: 61.1 x 50.7 cm (24 1/16 x 19 15/16")
Mat: 81.3 × 66 cm (32 × 26")
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Earring
Maya Angelou: Female
Maya Angelou: Literature\Writer
Maya Angelou: Education\Educator\Professor
Maya Angelou: Literature\Writer\Poet
Maya Angelou: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Theater
Maya Angelou: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer
Maya Angelou: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist
Maya Angelou: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Television
Maya Angelou: Performing Arts\Performer\Dancer
Maya Angelou: Presidential Medal of Freedom
Maya Angelou: Literature\Writer\Autobiographer
Maya Angelou: Literature\Writer\Memoirist
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.2012.48
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm426ece2bf-bac0-42a1-b32b-793db0aa45e2

Related Content

  • Poetry

  • American Women Writers

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Smithsonian 175
  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Human Resources
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top