Portrait of Melba Moore in Broadway character Lutiebelle

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 black and white photograph of actress and artist Melba Moore in character as Lutiebelle from her 1970 Broadway performance in Purlie. The image captures Moore backstage on the landing of a stairwell in costume as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins. She wears a rounded hat, bow-tied pigtails, and light-colored lace dress, gloves, and shoes. The wall behind her is two-toned and she stands close to the dark stairwell railing, looking up at the camera. The photograph has several blue ink marks scattered across it and is stuck to another photograph from behind that has the blue inscription “CHARLS H.”. There are no other markings.

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