From the collection of:
The Kentucky Historical Society || VAM Home

Russell Hughes Sr. took this self-portrait in his backyard studio in Louisville. Shown, from left to right, are Hughes; his daughter, Russell M. Hughes Jr.; and her aunt Mame (Mary Virginia Allan). Russell Hughes Jr. (1898-1988) gained fame as a choreographer, teacher, lecturer, writer, consultant, and ethnic dancer under the name “La Meri.” She toured the world at the height of her career in the 1930s and ’40s and founded the school of Natya with Ruth St. Denis in 1940 in New York.

About the Artist

Russell M. Hughes was an award-winning amateur photographer. He married Lily Allan around 1890, and the couple had two daughters, Lilian (born in 1892) and Russell M. Hughes Jr. (born in 1898), who were born at the family home at 1837 First St. in Louisville. According to Russell Jr., “All the cabinet photos were taken in a studio building Father built in the back yard at First Street. I do not know what camera he used, but it was one on a rolling stand and the photographer’s head went under a large black cloth attached to the camera. The outdoor shots were taken with a hand camera.”

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: “Read” this photo by describing the setting of the photo, listing and describing the people, listing and describing other things in the picture, speculating about what is happening in the picture, and considering what the picture reveals about life in the past. Do these people look like they are having fun playing cards? How does this family portrait compare to contemporary family portraits?

Activities: Working with a small group, plan a photo of an activity to be photographed by one of the participants. Then use a camera with a timer and tripod to take the photo and share your group’s “self-portrait” with the rest of the class. Use magazines and, if possible, your own family photo albums to gather family portraits from the late 1800s to the present day. Compare the photos in terms of content, composition, and technology used. Create a class display.

Links

You’ll find photo analysis worksheets at the National Archives and the National Register of Historic Places.
[www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis_worksheets/photo.html]
[www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/photoana.htm]

An article about La Meri and her influence on the world of dance, by Nancy Lee Ruyter of the University of California, Irvine, is posted on the site of Mexico’s Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas (PDF format).
[www.analesiie.unam.mx/pdf/77_169-188.pdf]