“I was a fly chick when I was young.” ~ The artist Ladybird Cleveland (now Strickland) to a reporter in 2012 in a story about an exhibition of her paintings. Ms. Strickland, the mother of legendary fashion model Pat Cleveland, was photographed here by Carl Van Vechten on September 21, 1954. Photo: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
There are versatile artists, and then there is Geoffrey Holder. Born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in 1930, Mr. Holder danced with his brother Boscoe’s dance troupe as a child. He arrived in New York in 1952 at the invitation of the legendary choreographer, Agnes de Mille and, to pay his fare, he sold 20 of his paintings. He would go on to win a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting in 1957. A few years before, he was a principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and appeared on Broadway in Truman Capote’s “House of Flowers,” where he would meet his wife of 57 years, the dancer Carmen de Lavallade.
In 1975, Mr. Holder won 2 Tony Awards in the same evening for directing and choreographing the Broadway musical, “The Wiz.” He is best known to most for his film and commercial roles: as Baron Samedi in the 1973 James Bond film, “Live and Let Die” and of course, as the “Un-cola Man” in the ubiquitous 1970s 7-Up commercials. Mr. Holder is still painting and creating art today and, the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago currently has an exhibition featuring Mr. Holder and Ms. de Lavallade. In this picture, Mr. Holder is sitting in front of one of his painting, sometime in the 1960s. Photo: Bradley Smith/Corbis.
Legendary artist Jacob Lawrence in his days as a Coastguardsman on March 27, 1945 in Boston. He was at the Institute of Modern Art in Boston for a showing of his paintings (he is shown with one of his most famous works, “Ironers,” a gouache on paper from 1943. Photo: Bettman/Corbis
I am a bit obsessed with this awesome picture. It’s Hilda Simms, Langston Hughes (bottom right) and actor Canada Lee (center in white shirt) at a party with other artists around 1944. I recognize the women on the left - but I am drawing a blank on their names so, if you know, please let me know in the comment section. Photo by George Karger/Pix Inc./Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.
Romare Bearden’s “The Family,” circa 1941. A gouache with ink and graphite on brown paper. It is from the Earle Hyman Collection in memory of Rolf Sirnes, Mr. Hyman’s partner of 50 years, a promised gift to the National Gallery of Art. © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, N.Y.
The artist, Ladybird Cleveland, photographed by Carl Van Vechten on September 21, 1954 with her painting, “Self Portrait.” She is also the mother of legendary fashion model Pat Cleveland. Photo: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Pioneering cartoonist Zelda “Jackie” Ormes. Born to a well-to-do family in Pittsburgh in 1911, Ormes created popular cartoon and comics series like Torchy Brown and Candy, that appeared in African American newspapers like the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender from 1937 to 1956. Her cartoon Patty-Jo ‘n Ginger inspired the creation of the Patty-Jo doll, an upscale, brown-skinned doll that was a direct contrast to the black dolls of the day that depicted black children as raggedy “picaninnies.” Jackie Ormes herself said, “No more… Sambos… Just KIDS!“
I encourage you to pick up Nancy Goldstein’s wonderful book, Jackie Ormes: The First African-American Woman Cartoonist, to learn even more about Ms. Ormes. According to Ms. Goldstein, people who knew Jackie Ormes say that she modeled some of her characters after herself, beautifully dressed and outspoken about issues of the day. Ms. Ormes was one of many artists who were investigated by the House of Un-American activities during the McCarthy era. She also led a very full, interesting social life in Chicago and was friendly with celebrities like Eartha Kitt and Duke Ellington. She died in 1985.
