21 Jun 2018
Wakanda forever as Black Panther comes to National Museum of African American History and Culture
BY Tom Anstey
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture will be welcoming Wakanda to its hallowed halls, after acquiring the iconic Black Panther costume featured in the record-breaking film.
In addition to the outfit worn by Chadwick Boseman, a signed shooting script, two pages of spec script and 24 high-resolution production photographs will go on temporary display during October, when the institution hosts its inaugural Smithsonian African American Film Festival.
Black Panther was the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comic books, with the film and its predominantly black cast resonating culturally when it was released earlier this year.
"The origin story of the Black Panther character started in the late 1960s, during the height of the civil rights movement – a critical period in American history and an era that the museum explores in many of its exhibitions," said the museum in a statement.
"Black Panther illustrates the progression of blacks in film, an industry that in the past has overlooked blacks, or regulated them to flat, one-dimensional and marginalised figures. The film, like the museum, provides a fuller story of black culture and identity."
The items will go on display between 24-27 October. Plans for permanent display of the objects are under consideration, says the museum.
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