Pauline Adamek
Two upcoming literary Black photography art talk events are happening next weekend, on June 5 and 7, at the Getty Center that focus on race, science, health, history, and artistry.
Pictured above: Come all the way UP to the Menthol Magic of KOOL, ca. 1960s. Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library, Duke University.
Pushing Cool with Keith Wailoo: The Racial Marketing of Menthol Cigarettes
Friday, Jun 5, 2026 at 6pm
Getty Center – Museum Lecture Hall
Enjoy a special lecture by award-winning author Keith Wailoo, centered on his book Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette. Wailoo traces the story of how cigarette companies crafted the appeal of menthol cigarettes—first by tapping into Americans’ rising health and cancer anxieties from the 1920s through the 1950s, and later by deliberately cultivating Black consumers in urban markets in the 1960s. He reveals how the industry built, protected, and fiercely defended these markets for decades, even as public health concerns mounted and regulatory pressures grew. The talk explores the unexpected alliances, critics, and political battles that shaped this contentious history of tobacco, race, health, and American business. Jointly sponsored by the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine, this program takes inspiration from the Johnson Publishing Company Archives and photographs in the Getty Research Institute’s special collections.
Tickets are free, but required for event entrance. Your event ticket will also serve as your Center entrance reservation. Please note, there is a fee for parking.
Viewfinders: Artists as Historians
Sunday, Jun 7, 2026 at 4pm
Getty Center & Online (via zoom) – Harold M. Williams Auditorium
During the 1970s and ’80s, several artists published important histories highlighting the wealth of African American artistry that had been overlooked. Two landmark publications—Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and Black Photographers, 1840 to 1940: An Illustrated Bio-Bibliography by Deborah Willis—greatly contributed to the development of the field of photographic history. This conversation brings the two luminaries together to discuss their dual roles as artists and historians. For in-person attendees, a reception follows the program.
To watch online, register via Zoom.
Once you register, you’ll receive an email detailing how to join online.
