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Entertainment

Anna May Wong

Movie star fought to be viewed beyond stereotypes in Hollywood

Anna May Wong (1905–1961) was the first Chinese American actress to become a major box-office attraction. When World War II broke out, she put her film career on hold and worked from the United States on Chinese war relief. While some Chinese Americans of the time reprimanded her for playing to stereotypes, many people today see her as a pioneer who succeeded in a hostile industry.

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Anna May Wong

Artist
Nickolas Muray, 15 Feb 1892 - 2 Nov 1965
Sitter
Anna May Wong, 3 Jan 1905 - 3 Feb 1961
Exhibition Label
Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American actress to become a major box-office attraction. After scoring a success as the exotic Mongol slave in The Thief of Bagdad (1924), Wong was immediately pegged as Hollywood’s "oriental siren." Relegated to minor parts in a series of movies featuring unsympathetic portrayals of Asian characters, she left Hollywood for Europe in 1928, where she received leading film and stage roles. She returned to the United States in 1930 to star in the Broadway play On the Spot. Although Wong appeared regularly on screen throughout the 1930s, the U.S. film industry never gave her the opportunity to move beyond stereotypical roles. As a consequence, Wong often found herself in the unenviable position of performing in films that perpetuated racial stereotypes or not working at all.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1937
Object number
NPG.99.45
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Nickolas Muray Photo Archives
Type
Photograph
Medium
Color carbro print
Dimensions
Image: 39 x 31.1cm (15 3/8 x 12 1/4")
Sheet: 43.9 x 34.6cm (17 5/16 x 13 5/8")
Mount: 50.6 x 38.2cm (19 15/16 x 15 1/16")
Mat: 71.1 x 55.9cm (28 x 22")
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Earring
Indeterminable
Costume\Dress Accessory\Fan
Anna May Wong: Female
Anna May Wong: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.99.45
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4efab9cea-8650-4489-89e0-9c5e3d5a252a

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  • WomensHistory@si.edu

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