Marian Anderson in her dressing room with Vada Somerville and others, Los Angeles, 1940s

Title: Marian Anderson in her dressing room with Vada Somerville and others, Los Angeles, 1940s
Alternative title: Somerville community activities (1)
Photographer: Atlas Photo by Charles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Date Created: [1940s]
Date: 1940/1950
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: Marian Anderson, contralto, holding a bouquet of roses in her dressing room, posing with six other women, including Vada Somerville (3rd from right).
Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century.
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.

Genre: Portrait photographs
Names: Anderson, Marian, 1897-1993
Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
Subject Geographic: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Resource type: still image
Subjects: African American civil rights workers
African American businesspeople
African American dentists
Contraltos