By Baxter
In 1939, the Howard University School of Music asked the Daughters of the American Revolution to reserve DAR Constitution Hall for a benefit concert starring the renowned contralto Marian Anderson. As you may know, the all-white, all-idiot DAR refused, because Anderson was Black.
They banned Paul Robeson in 1930 for the same reason. However, in 1930 Eleanor Roosevelt was not First Lady.
ER furiously resigned from the DAR, booked Anderson for a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the rest is the kind of history that the Trumpsters are now trying to erase.
So we cats were intrigued to see this photo in an exhibit of Richard Avedon's portraits at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It's titled The Generals of the Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Convention, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, October 15, 1963. We need the back story. How did this photo happen?
Look at the expressions on the faces of the white Daughters: fury, annoyance, rejection, resignation. Everyone looking everywhere except at the one Black general in their midst. It's an amazing shot.
Fun fact: This photo was framed and mounted opposite Avedon's enormous (and famous) portrait of Anderson herself. MMFA's exhibit curator really knew what she was doing. We cats PURR.
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