Curated by the artist Barbara Jones (1912–1978) for the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1951, Blackeyes and Lemonade was an exhibition of popular art or, what Jones defined as, “the things people make for themselves, or that are manufactured in their taste.” The exhibits, which included a tiled fireplace in the shape of an Airedale dog, a giant anthropomorphic lemon, pub beer pulls, advertising posters, and industrially manufactured confectionary, posed a challenge to a codified and class-based conception of taste, fine art, and high culture that was prevalent in the post-war British museum. Through an analysis of the production and reception of Blackeyes and Lemonade , this paper charts the intellectual and practical battles Jones had to engage in to defend her selection and interpretation of objects, while simultaneously defining an unfamiliar branch of esthetic impulse and attempting to redirect what she called the “museum eye.” Finally, the paper explores the role of the temporary exhibition in re-opening discussions about taste, class, and gender in the museum. Keywords museum , subject focus , women , research and topics , popular art , taste , 1950s , Great Britain
Our goal is to provide guidance to those responsible for security involving the protection of cultural property. It’s important to note that the authors here are speaking from positions as practitioners. Our experience in operations, security design, as well as careers in cultural property protection that provided knowledge through trial and error over time as well as working with colleagues in the development of industry best practices as a result of those trials, were instrumental in helping us form the opinions contained in the article. Hence the absence of research and academic references in this article.
This essay explores the work of women who shaped the collection of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum: Historian and Director of Research Louise Daniel Hutchinson (1928–2014), Curator Portia James (1953–2015), and Historian Gail S. Lowe (1950–2015) whose exhibitions and projects built a rich community-based collection. Hutchinson’s work during the formative years of 1974 to 1986 elevated local voices in the research process and brought educator, Anna J. Cooper (1858–1964) out of obscurity. Portia James’ including community voices and perspectives in the exhibition process, resulting in her most celebrated exhibitions: Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity Among Black Immigrants in Washington, D.C. (1994). Her project amassed a large amount of oral history interviews, photographic documentation, and research files. Gail S. Lowe’s projects expanded the museum collection to include national and international voices on issues that resonated with the local community. Her exhibition exploring contemporary African American religious traditions, generated primary research materials on diverse faiths and spiritual traditions espoused by African Americans in Washington, D.C., and selected cities across the country. The collective work of all these women generated a wealth of resources and invaluable information that continues to be consulted by scholars and the public.
