Top of page

Notice
Monday, February 16, 2026: For the President's Day holiday, The Library will open under normal operating hours.

Photo, Print, Drawing Sand tan / Emma Amos, 1980.

[ digital file from original ]

Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.

About this Item

Title

  • Sand tan / Emma Amos, 1980.

Summary

  • Three African American women sunbathing.

Names

  • Amos, Emma, 1937-2020, artist

Created / Published

  • 1980.

Headings

  • -  African Americans--Women--1980
  • -  Sunbathing--1980

Format Headings

  • Intaglio prints--1980.

Genre

  • Intaglio prints--1980

Notes

  • -  Caption label from exhibit "Creative Space" Seeds and Collaborations: In her work, Emma Amos often addresses issues of feminism, politics, culture, and her own personal history. Born in Georgia, she studied in Ohio, London, and New York. She was the only woman in the Spiral artists' group (1963-1966) that included Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff. Sand Tan, printed at the studio of Kathy Caraccio, is from a series of prints created by the artist to represent strong-looking, beautiful black women. Amos first came to the Printmaking Workshop in the late 1960s.
  • -  Title transcribed from item.
  • -  Signed in pencil lower right.
  • -  Edition: 4/25.
  • -  Collection of the Printmaking Workshop / compiled by Michael R. Chisholm, 2000, no. 23
  • -  Gift/Purchase; Robert Hamilton Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts; 2006; (DLC/PP-2006:006-23).
  • -  Exhibited: "Creative Space : Fifty Years of Robert Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop" at the International Print Center New York (IPCNY), 2002-2003; at the Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College of Art, Chicago, IL, January 31-March 25, 2005, and other venues thru July 2006.
  • -  Exhibited: "Emma Amos: Color Odyssey", Philadelphia Museum of Art, October 9, 2021-January 2, 2022.

Medium

  • 1 print : etching and aquatint ; sheet 85 x 75 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • FP 3 - RBPW, no. 2015 (E size) [P&P]

Source Collection

  • The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Print Collection (Library of Congress)

Repository

  • Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2002721959

Reproduction Number

  • LC-DIG-ppmsca-02408 (digital file from original)

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Fine Print Collection - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: Rights status not evaluated. For general information see "Copyright and Other Restrictions...," https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.195.copr
  • Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-02408 (digital file from original)
  • Call Number: FP 3 - RBPW, no. 2015 (E size) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. (Some images display only as thumbnails outside the Library of Congress because of rights considerations, but you have access to larger size images on site.)

Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

  1. If a digital image is displaying: The qualities of the digital image partially depend on whether it was made from the original or an intermediate such as a copy negative or transparency. If the Reproduction Number field above includes a reproduction number that starts with LC-DIG..., then there is a digital image that was made directly from the original and is of sufficient resolution for most publication purposes.
  2. If there is information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can use the reproduction number to purchase a copy from Duplication Services. It will be made from the source listed in the parentheses after the number.

    If only black-and-white ("b&w") sources are listed and you desire a copy showing color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of the original in color by citing the Call Number listed above and including the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

  3. If there is no information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can generally purchase a quality copy through Duplication Services. Cite the Call Number listed above and include the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

Price lists, contact information, and order forms are available on the Duplication Services Web site.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.

  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Amos, Emma, Artist. Sand tan / Emma Amos. , 1980. Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2002721959/.

APA citation style:

Amos, E. (1980) Sand tan / Emma Amos. , 1980. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2002721959/.

MLA citation style:

Amos, Emma, Artist. Sand tan / Emma Amos. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2002721959/>.