These beautiful images were captured by James Van Der Zee, one of the most respected photographers of the era and a prominent artist of the Harlem Renaissance.
The subjects of his portraits came from all walks of life. He photographed mothers and their children,
College athletes
Celebrities like Jean-Michel Basquiat
and Marcus Garvey,
and ordinary people, including this picture of a glamorous couple dressed up for a Sunday drive.
His life spanned nearly a century of our history.
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| James Van Der Dee as a young man |
And cataloged it ever so beautifully.
He wasn't just a studio photographer. He was an artist with a fantastic eye and the technical skill to elevate a simple portrait into a lasting testament to a society and an era so often overlooked.
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