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Museum object · Photographs and Still Images

Brown Sisters Walk to School

1953

Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, United States, North and Central America

COLLECTION RECORDImage not availableExplore the catalog description and source record.
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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This gelatin silver print depicts the Brown sisters walking between train tracks en route to Monroe Elementary, the segregated Black school closest to their home. The sisters walk between a passing or parked train and unoccupied train tracks which both recede into a vanishing point slightly above the tallest girl's head. Their backs are to the camera and both girls are captured mid-step in the image. The oldest sister, Linda, holds a brown bag lunch in her PR hand while the younger sister, Terry, holds a brown bag lunch in her PL hand. Both girls wear knee-length overcoats.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2014.166.7

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