11 x 6 in. silver gelatin photograph of Josephine Baker standing in a studio setting, partially turned around but glancing back towards the camera. Lower margin inscribed, "Rue Dumont d'Urville G. C. Daniel Fre." Matted and framed, 20 3/4 x 16 3/4 in.

Josephine Baker (1906-1975), also known as the "Black Pearl," the "Bronze Venus," and the "Creole Goddess," was the first person of color to become a world wide entertainer and to star in a major motion picture in 1934 (Zouzou). Though born in St. Louis, MO, Baker came to feel most at home in France, becoming a French citizen and marrying a French national, Jean Lion, in 1937. Though most remembered for her erotic dancing, acting, and even performances with her pet Cheetah, "Chiquita," Baker also contributed to the Civil Rights movement and acted as an agent for the French Resistance during the second world war. She used her celebrity to gather information from officials, carry messages for England throughout Europe, and entertain American, British, and French troops stationed in North Africa. For her efforts, she received the Croix de guerre, the Rosette de la Résistance, and was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by Charles de Gaulle.