{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1260715"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1260715/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1260715","accessionNumber":"E.313-2013","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Black Beauty Pageants","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"Grenadian born photographer Raphael Albert (1935-2009) was committed to celebrating the growing black population in Britain. Whilst living in Hammersmith, West London he began to organise and photograph a host of black beauty pageants from the 1960s to the 1980s, mostly targeted at women from the British Caribbean community. \r\n\r\nThe pageants echoed the sentiment of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement, which started in America in the 1960s. The movement encouraged black people to embrace their natural beauty. Albert became interested in black British beauty pageants while working as a freelance photographer for the newspaper West Indian World. He founded the Miss Teenager and Miss West Indies in Great Britain contests in 1974. He viewed the contests as a way of restoring confidence within his community.  \r\n\r\nThe V&amp;A acquired seven of Albert’s photographs documenting beauty pageants and the British Caribbean community in London as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&amp;A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&amp;A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","physicalDescription":"A black and white photograph of three young black women taken from a low vantage point. The woman in the centre is seated while the other two stand with their heads slightly cut off the image. They all wear swimsuits and platformed high heels with ankle straps. The woman seated has an afro and wears a dotted bikini. The woman to the left wears a light coloured swimming costume, while the woman to the right wears a bikini with a tropical print. Stacked speakers can be seen in the background and a man holding a telephone is behind the woman on the right.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Raphael Albert","id":"AUTH327265"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"gelatin silver process","id":"AAT139114"},{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gelatin silver fibre-based print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"African Diaspora","id":"THES48873"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"Caribbean","id":"THES286921"}],"styles":[{"text":"documentary","id":"x37881"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"none","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"1041","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1970s","earliest":"1965-01-01","latest":"1983-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"2012","earliest":"2012-01-01","latest":"2012-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.311-2013","id":"O1260710"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.312-2013","id":"O1260712"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.314-2013","id":"O1260713"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.315-2013","id":"O1260716"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.316-2013","id":"O1260708"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.317-2013","id":"O1260703"},"association":"Series"}],"creditLine":"Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"32.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Autograph ABP stamped on verso"}],"objectHistory":"The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Raphael Albert, untitled, from the portfolio<i> Black Beauty Pageants</i>, gelatin silver print, London, c. 1970s, printed 2012","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"London","id":"x28980"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Pageants","id":"AAT69240"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"AAT55811"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<b>Gallery 100, 2016-17:</b>\r\n\r\nRaphael Albert (1935–2009)\r\nFrom the portfolio ‘Black Beauty Pageants’\r\n1970–80\r\n\r\nRaphael Albert’s series Black Beauty Pageants echoes the sentiment of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement, which started in America in the 1960s and encouraged black people to embrace their natural beauty. Albert founded the Miss Teenager and Miss West Indies in Great Britain contests in 1974 and viewed the contests as a way of restoring confidence within his London community.\r\n\r\nGelatin silver print (printed 2012)\r\nPurchase supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund\r\nMuseum no. E.313-2013\r\n","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Raphael Albert (1935 – 2009) \r\nUntitled\r\nUntitled\r\nThe Harder They Come\r\nBeauty Salon\r\nUntitled\r\nMiss Black & Beautiful\r\nFrom the series Black Beauty Pageants\r\n1960 – 79\r\n\r\nThis series of photographs echoes the sentiment of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement, which started in America in the 1960s. The movement encouraged black people to embrace their natural beauty. Albert became interested in black British beauty pageants while working as a freelance photographer for the newspaper West Indian World. He founded the Miss Teenager and Miss West Indies in Great Britain contests in 1974. He viewed the contests as a way of restoring confidence within his community. \r\n\r\nGelatin silver prints (printed 2012) \r\nMuseum nos. E.312 to 317-2013\r\n","date":{"text":"16/02/2015-24/05/2015","earliest":"2015-02-16","latest":"2015-05-24"}}],"partNumbers":["E.313-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"313","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2013-02-07","availableToBook":false}}