Desmond Dekker ('This is Desmond Dekkar')
- Artist: Trojan Records
- Artist: Unknown photographer
- Date: 1969
- Medium: colour offset lithographic record sleeve
- Dimensions: 12 1/8 in. x 12 1/8 in. (308 mm x 308 mm) overall
- Portrays: Desmond Dekker (né Desmond Adolphus Dacres)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the record sleeve for Desmond Dekker’s hit “Israelites,” released by Trojan Records in 1969. Look at the square portrait: a simple colour offset lithographic print, centered on a 12 ⅛‑by‑12 ⅛‑inch frame. The image shows Dekker wearing a casual jacket and hat, looking straight ahead with a relaxed smile—typical of mid‑century Jamaican pop portraits. Below the photo the words “Desmond Dekkar” are in bold block letters, while the track title appears beneath that in a smaller typeface. The sleeve’s simple layout lets the music itself shine; it was one of the earliest reggae singles to top the UK chart.
See it in person
Desmond Dekker ('This is Desmond Dekkar') is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
