Past Exhibition
James Van Der Zee’s Photographs: A Portrait of Harlem
Details
Photographer James Van Der Zee created an extraordinary chronicle of life in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s and beyond. Residents of this majority Black neighborhood in New York City turned to Van Der Zee and his camera to mark special occasions. His carefully composed, cosmopolitan photographs conveyed the personalities, aspirations, and spirit of his sitters. Some 40 works from the National Gallery’s collection feature Van Der Zee’s studio portraits, along with his photographs of Harlem nightclubs and storefronts as well as religious, social, political, and athletic community groups. Together they provide a glimpse into Harlem’s rich social life as it became an influential center of American culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
James Van Der Zee’s Retouched Portraits
To present sitters in the best possible light and perfect his portrait photographs, Van Der Zee even drew jewelry onto his negatives.
Bonus Episode: Celeste Headlee and James Van Der Zee’s “Couple, Harlem”
In this photograph, journalist and musician Celeste Headlee hears Lenox Avenue, a suite her grandfather William Grant Still named after Harlem’s main street. This 1932 portrait captures the pride of Black Americans achieving success during the Harlem Renaissance despite systemic injustice.
Body and Soul
Streaming March 16–22, 2022
Oscar Micheaux’s 1925 drama was performer Paul Robeson’s cinematic debut and an example of an early “race film,” produced for a Black audience with all–African American casts and crew.
James Van Der Zee’s Retouched Portraits
To present sitters in the best possible light and perfect his portrait photographs, Van Der Zee even drew jewelry onto his negatives.
Bonus Episode: Celeste Headlee and James Van Der Zee’s “Couple, Harlem”
In this photograph, journalist and musician Celeste Headlee hears Lenox Avenue, a suite her grandfather William Grant Still named after Harlem’s main street. This 1932 portrait captures the pride of Black Americans achieving success during the Harlem Renaissance despite systemic injustice.
Body and Soul
Streaming March 16–22, 2022
Oscar Micheaux’s 1925 drama was performer Paul Robeson’s cinematic debut and an example of an early “race film,” produced for a Black audience with all–African American casts and crew.
Selected Works
