Wesley A. Russell and his uncle, John A. Somerville, circa 1942

Item Overview

Title

Wesley A. Russell and his uncle, John A. Somerville, circa 1942

Alternative title

Somerville community activities (1)

Artist

Ferris, Jean Leon Gerome, 1863-1930

Date Created

[circa 1942]

Collection

OpenUCLA Collections
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection

Notes

Description

"Benjamin Franklin's Book Shop" was one in a series of paintings of scenes in American history by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. The complete series was shown at Independence Hall in Philadelphia from 1913 to 1930, then moved next door to Congress Hall. In later years, it was shown in a number of locations, including the Smithsonian Institution, before being returned to the Ferris family.
Wesley Russell was an attorney in Los Angeles. He enlisted in December 1941.
Captain Wesley A. Russell and his uncle, John A. Somerville, at a banquet table and in front of the painting "Benjamin Franklin's Book Shop" by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris.
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.

Physical Description

Extent

1 photograph

Keywords

Genre

photographs

Subject topic

African American dentists
African American civil rights workers
African American lawyers
African American businesspeople

Names

Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973
Russell, Wesley, 1921-1991

Resource type

still image