Explore Black History

ca. 1990

A color photograph of a portion of a Stop Aids graffiti mural in New York City. The mural is painted on a light tan wall. The bottom half of the image features a depiction of a white brick wall with cracks running through many of the bricks, running the full length of the image. A light and dark blue cloud features prominently on the left side of the image with the words [STOP / AIDS] spray painted in yellow letters outlined in red. The middle of the image features an illustration two men standing in profile, facing each other, on either side of a tombstone. The front of the tombstone has the text [USE YOUR / HEAD BEFORE / YOU END UP / DEAD.] written in black text. The word [DEAD] is underlined and the letters have drip lines giving it a bloody text effect. The man on the left is featured wearing a yellow shirt, yellow pants, and black shoes with yellow laces. He has three black thought bubbles above, and to the right of his head. He is holding his proper left hand splayed out, reaching for a syringe with a bloody hypodermic needle in the proper right hand of the man depicted on the right of the tombstone. The man on the right is depicted with red spikey hair, a green shirt, green pants and black shoes with white laces. On the far right of the image is the text [THE LAW] written in red block letters, outlined in black, above a depiction of scrolled paper with the text [I. DON’T “SHOOT” / DRUGS. / II. USE CONDOM. / III. HAVE SEX WITH FAiTHFUL / PARTNER.] written in black text. There are no inscriptions on the recto. On the verso the image is signed in blue ink by the photographer.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Eyejammie Hip-Hop Photography Collection

Photographs and Still Images

HIV/AIDS Activist Movement

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2015.132.262

chromogenic color prints

© Ernie Paniccioli
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

dye and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with cardboard and Fome-Cor (TM)

H x W x D (Sheet): 18 × 41 5/8 × 1/4 in. (45.7 × 105.8 × 0.7 cm)
H x W (Image): 12 1/2 × 36 1/4 in. (31.8 × 92 cm)

Object Name • Chromogenic print of a "Stop AIDS" graffiti mural in New York City

nmaahc_2015.132.262

NMAAHC

CHROMOGENIC PRINT OF A "STOP AIDS" GRAFFITI MURAL IN NEW YORK CITY

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1990s

New York City • United States • North and Central America

Photography • Activism • Art • Health • HIV/AIDS Activist Movement • Urban life

City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

Images

Limited Use