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Keagan Smith

Special to The News

A never-before-seen piece of Port Arthur history is on its way to the spotlight in one of the nation’s most prestigious museums.

Last week, a representative from the Smithsonian Institute spent time in Southeast Texas to research a local legend. Thanks to the Museum of the Gulf Coast, they went home with a previously-unseen photograph of Janis Joplin which will eventually be displayed within Washington D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery.

“We’re honored that we have the opportunity to even represent Janis Joplin here for the city of Port Arthur,” Museum of the Gulf Coast Curator Robert Fong said. “We’re excited that the Smithsonian wants to use one of our photographs in the exhibit. It’s a great honor.”

The photograph in question, dated September 1965, depicts a 22-year-old Joplin shortly  before she left to pursue music in Austin, Texas. The portrait portrays the firm countenance of the Port Arthur native who became a national name in the music scene and blossomed into an iconic figure of Vietnam War-era America’s counterculture movement — and whose influence is still felt decades after her accidental overdose death at age 27 in 1970.

According to Fong, the flick was taken by Southeast Texas photographer J.B. Watkins in the sixties and later donated to the Museum of the Gulf Coast as part of the Watkins Studio, one of two collections in the museum’s ownership. The curator explained that while the Museum of the Gulf Coast usually doesn’t receive requests to loan out items, they’re happy to help such an

esteemed institution.

Fong said the initial phone call from the Smithsonian researcher was both a fun and exciting one. They spoke at length about Janis and her local roots, and Fong was able to share stories about Joplin which he’d heard from Museum of the Gulf Coast visitors who knew the singer from her upbringing in Port Arthur. Last week, the researcher even made an in-person visit to the city and museum so they could absorb the history themselves.

Unfortunately, this Smithsonian representative was unable to speak with the media due to mandates by the federal government, which provides a significant portion of the institution’s funding. Nonetheless, Fong was able to share some details about the larger project the photo of Joplin will be a part of.

Typically, National Portrait Gallery exhibits showcase a singular portrait on the wall alongside a brief informative write-up of around 150 words. The Joplin project, though, is a larger display with multiple works — truly a great honor within the historic halls. It won’t be on view until late 2026, so the exhibit’s exact specifics aren’t yet set in stone. However, Fong said the display will be comprehensive of Joplin’s unique persona and cultural status.

People know Joplin for her music, of course, but her unabashed authenticity often resonates more with admirers than the songs do. Whether it was the way she dressed, her disdain for makeup, or the custom artwork she hand-painted her car with, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer never shied away from her countercultural leanings. In a time when much of the public

demanded one thing, Joplin was unafraid to do the complete opposite.

The music is timeless, yes, but the person behind it is, too. After all, preserving that history — frozen forever in time — is exactly what portraits are meant for.

“It just goes to show you that Janis’ star is just getting brighter and brighter,” Fong said. “You have big stars and such, but then you have people who are so influential they become icons. Their influence just grows over time, and Janis is one of those stars.”