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Museum object · Photographs and Still Images

Michaela Coel photographed for Essence magazine

2019; printed 2022

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, 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.

A color photograph of Michaela Coel captured by Dana Scruggs for Essence magazine. The photograph of Coel, taken in Brooklyn, New York, depicts her in a twirling pose. Coel is shown in full length, wearing a sleeveless blue dress with a deep, rounded neckline and a pleated, layered, maxi skirt. She is holding an edge of each of the skirt’s layers in each hand. Her arms are fully extended out to her sides and she is twirling the skirt, which is flowing in two different directions. Her body is turned towards the left edge of the image and her face is turned in the other direction, over her proper left arm. She is looking up and to the right. In the background is a reddish brown wall with peeling paint. Coel is standing slightly off center and has a diagonal spotlight falling on her.

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: 2022.32.4

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