Coleman's Cafe, Greensboro, Alabama

1967 - 1996, printed 2006

William Christenberry

Associated Names
William Christenberry

Artist, American, 1936 - 2016

The image is a collage of sixteen photographs showing small wooden storefronts. The buildings have a rustic appearance, with most being single-story structures featuring weathered Coca-Cola signs. The horizons are high in each picture, focusing on the stores themselves. The architectural style is old-fashioned and rural American. The color palette consists of warm earthy tones like browns, reds, and dusty greens. The images emphasize textures such as the roughness of the buildings and the organic forms of the surrounding trees. The overall impression is nostalgic, highlighting the charm and decay of these roadside establishments in a rural setting.
Skip thumbnail navigation
Back to thumbnail navigation
This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

William Christenberry, Washington, DC; purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art (through Hemphill, Washington, DC), Washington, DC, 2006; acquired by NGA, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2006

  • redefined: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, July 15, 2006 – January 2, 2007

2008

  • Sight/Insight: People and Places, Recent Acquisitions of Photography and Media Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, April 30 – September 15, 2008

2010

  • Helios: Eadweard Muybridge in a Time of Change, Exploration Gallery, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, April 10 – July 18, 2010

2015

  • In Light of the Past: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Collecting Photographs at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, May 3–July 26, 2015

Inscriptions

on all prints: on verso, signed by artist, bottom right corner in black ink: WC
print a: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1967 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 1.
print b: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1971 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 2.
print c: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE (DETAIL), GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1971 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 3.
print d: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1972 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 4.
print e: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1976 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 5.
print f: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1977 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 6.
print g: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE (DETAIL), GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1977 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 7.
print h: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1978 (FEB.) PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 8.
print i: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: SIGNS AND PORCH, COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1979 1/9; vertical along bottom right edge: PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 9.
print j: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: top right in graphite: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1979 1/9 PRINTED 2006; bottom center in graphite: 10.
print k: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1980 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 11.
print l: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1981 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 12.
print m: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1982 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 13.
print n: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1992 1/9 PRINTED 2006; top right in graphite: 14.
print o: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1993 PRINTED 2006 1/9; top right in graphite: 15.
print p: on verso, by artist, across bottom in black ink: SITE OF COLEMAN'S CAFE, GREENSBORO, ALABAMA, 1996 PRINTED 2006 1/9; top right in graphite: 16.

Wikidata ID

Q64171180

You may be interested in

Loading Results