Jessie Ellis in 'In Dahomey'
- Artist: Cavendish Morton
- Date: 1903
- Medium: platinotype print
- Dimensions: 6 1/8 in. x 4 3/8 in. (154 mm x 110 mm)
- Portrays: Jessie Ellis
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a close‑up platinum print by Cavendish Morton, taken in his Battersea studio in 1903. You see Jessie Ellis, an actress‑dancer‑singer, posed as a chorus member of the “In Dahomey” company that toured from New York to London. She wears a bright costume with a feathered hat and head adornments typical of early Black musical theatre. The print’s sharp, matte finish captures her hair curls and the subtle play of light on the fabric.
Morton was an actor himself, so he could capture his theatrical sitters in natural poses. In 1903 “In Dahomey” was a landmark musical performed entirely by black actors; its music came from Will Marion Cook, lyrics from Paul Laurence Dunbar and book from Jesse A. Shipp. Jessie sang the highlight “I wants to be an Actor Lady,” so this portrait captures her in the moment that made the show famous.
The platinotype process gives a soft tonal range, making Ellis’s skin glow against the costume. The small size—about 6¼ by 4⅜ inches—creates an intimate frame that invites you to look at the details up close, almost as if she were standing right before you.
See it in person
Jessie Ellis in 'In Dahomey' 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.
