Mary Church Terrell

Supporting fellow Black women as an activist and writer

Poised proudly at the intersection of race, gender, and class, Mary Church Terrell served as one of the women who ushered in the national Black women’s club movement of the late nineteenth century. As one of the founders of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs in 1896, Terrell and her colleagues advocated for black women and their efforts toward realizing racial justice and equality for African Americans. Using the motto "Lifting As We Climb," Black club women sought to redefine the role of middle-class Black women.

Gelatin silver print of Mary Church Terrell

Object Details

Date
ca. 1910
Photograph by
Addison N. Scurlock, American, 1883 - 1964
Subject of
Mary Church Terrell, American, 1863 - 1954
Owned by
Mary Church Terrell, American, 1863 - 1954
Description
A black and white photograph of Mary Church Terrell (TA2017.13.10.2). She is depicted seated in profile from the waist up. The left side of her face is visible. She is wearing a light colored beaded and fringed evening dress. She wears her hair in a loose up-do. There is a photographer's stamp embossed in the bottom left corner. There are several handwritten inscriptions on the reverse, one reading [Mary Church Terrell] and the another reading [Defender].
Place captured
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Activism
Education
Local and regional
Photography
Social reform
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Mary Church Terrell Family Archive
Classification
Media Arts-Photography
Archival Collections
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ray and Jean Langston in memory of Mary Church and Robert Terrell
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
TA2017.13.10.2
Type
gelatin silver prints
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W (Image and Sheet): 7 × 5 in. (17.8 × 12.7 cm)
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5b18e887b-5c9b-4759-b70b-e4d856030743
Record ID
nmaahc_TA2017.13.10.2