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Unseen: Unpublished Black History from The New York Times Photo Archives
Hundreds of stunning images from Black history have been buried in the New York Times photo archives for decades. Four Times staff members unearth these overlooked photographs and investigate the stories behind them in this remarkable collection. New York Times photo editor Darcy Eveleigh made an unwitting discovery when she found dozens of never-before-published photographs from Black history in the crowded bins of the Times archives in 2016. She and three colleagues, Dana Canedy, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns, began exploring the often untold stories behind the images and chronicling them in a series entitled “Unpublished Black History” that was later published by the newspaper.Unseen showcases those photographs and digs even deeper into the Times’s archives to include 175 photographs and the stories behind them in this extraordinary collection. Among the entries is a 27-year-old Jesse Jackson leading an anti-discrimination rally in Chicago; Rosa Parks arriving at a Montgomery courthouse in Alabama; a candid shot of Aretha Franklin backstage at the Apollo Theater; Ralph Ellison on the streets of his Manhattan neighborhood; the firebombed home of Malcolm X; and a series by Don Hogan Charles, the first black photographer hired by the Times, capturing life in Harlem in the 1960s. Why were these striking photographs not published? Did the images not arrive in time to make the deadline? Were they pushed aside by the biases of editors, whether intentional or unintentional? Unseen dives deep into the Times’s archives to showcase this rare collection of photographs and stories for the very first time.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 31, 2017
This book represents a sort of self-correction by the NYT. Here are photographs that did not make the published paper, but that say important things about black lives in the United States during the 20th century. I learned a lot from reading the thoughtful paragraphs that accompany each photo. And some of the personal stories were quite touching. Well worth reading.
May 5, 2020
This book is absolutely amazing. The pictures are powerful. I learned so much from reading this book.
June 19, 2018
Definitely review coming...
February 28, 2021
What a fantastic book including moments both momentous and quiet. I admit that I enjoyed the workaday, daily life type photos just a hair more because I love seeing the stylings of the non-celebrity types. I also found the background information incredibly useful and the insights as to why so many didn't get included in the newspaper fascinating.
August 10, 2020
I loved every minute I spent with this book. It's centered around photographs - and anyone who has known me for more than 10 minutes knows how much I love photos - taking them, sharing them, talking about them.
This is a celebration of Black American history in the tumultuous decades of the 1950s to the 1980s as it has not been presented before. It is uplifting in the stories of leadership, perseverance, shared culture and Black community. There are people I was not familiar with: Ralph J. Bunche, Robert C. Weaver, Patricia R. Harris, Arthur Mitchell and 21 yr old Fred Hampton, who in 1969 met the same end as Breonna Taylor in 2020.
There are many familiar faces from politics, sports and the arts. The photos are what makes all of this so fresh and new. These authors/researchers reached out to some of the people in these photos who were seeing them for the first time and it's interesting to read what they remembered about that moment captured in time. This book is so rich in detail and the backstory is often so intimate and personal.
The other startling set of photos are from Black communities in places like Harlem that are not what we have been show by the media in all these decades. The photos of parades and Easter Sunday in these communities are in stark contrast to the photos of urban poverty, public housing and criminal activity which are what the media deems "newsworthy." It has created fear and reinforced biases about Black neighborhoods and communities.
The stories of the photographers themselves are also quite interesting. Just a few women photographers and people of color, mostly they were white men. But they were focused on telling important stories through their photography. They captured something priceless, and the New York Times preserved it all even when they didn't publish it.
Finally, it's a testament to the long arc of the moral universe that the New York Times gave a green light to this project and also gave it resources. The book was published in 2017, which means it was well underway before we were in the middle of this current administration with its rampant racist rhetoric, before Charlottesville, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests across the country, the removal of Confederate Statues and Portland.
This book is worth your time. The Black History captured in these photos and the context given to them is American History of the decades surrounding the *first* Civil Rights Movement. One of the great questions in the musical Hamilton is: "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" All of these stories deserve to be told and they deserve an audience to hear, see and know them.
This is a celebration of Black American history in the tumultuous decades of the 1950s to the 1980s as it has not been presented before. It is uplifting in the stories of leadership, perseverance, shared culture and Black community. There are people I was not familiar with: Ralph J. Bunche, Robert C. Weaver, Patricia R. Harris, Arthur Mitchell and 21 yr old Fred Hampton, who in 1969 met the same end as Breonna Taylor in 2020.
There are many familiar faces from politics, sports and the arts. The photos are what makes all of this so fresh and new. These authors/researchers reached out to some of the people in these photos who were seeing them for the first time and it's interesting to read what they remembered about that moment captured in time. This book is so rich in detail and the backstory is often so intimate and personal.
The other startling set of photos are from Black communities in places like Harlem that are not what we have been show by the media in all these decades. The photos of parades and Easter Sunday in these communities are in stark contrast to the photos of urban poverty, public housing and criminal activity which are what the media deems "newsworthy." It has created fear and reinforced biases about Black neighborhoods and communities.
The stories of the photographers themselves are also quite interesting. Just a few women photographers and people of color, mostly they were white men. But they were focused on telling important stories through their photography. They captured something priceless, and the New York Times preserved it all even when they didn't publish it.
Finally, it's a testament to the long arc of the moral universe that the New York Times gave a green light to this project and also gave it resources. The book was published in 2017, which means it was well underway before we were in the middle of this current administration with its rampant racist rhetoric, before Charlottesville, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests across the country, the removal of Confederate Statues and Portland.
This book is worth your time. The Black History captured in these photos and the context given to them is American History of the decades surrounding the *first* Civil Rights Movement. One of the great questions in the musical Hamilton is: "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" All of these stories deserve to be told and they deserve an audience to hear, see and know them.
January 14, 2021
If all of the black and white photographs from "UNSEEN: Unpublished Black History from the New York Times Photo Archives" had actually been utilized in the paper at the time they were taken we might not need to protest about racial inequality and a lack of inclusion and diversity today. Historically relevant, and groundbreaking, the images of the famous-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medger Evans, Muhammad Ali-and the not-so-famous, by photographers Don Hogan Charles, Chester Higgins Jr., and others, are only part of this book's strength. The remainder comes from the accompanying text written with a nod to the past and an eye on the future.
Organized effectively in easily relatable sections "UNSEEN..." is an excellent resource for ethnic studies teachers, photography students, and collectors of African American memorabilia. Created with empathy and aesthetic understanding the reason this book resonated so deeply with me was because each photo was taken with such care and respect
Organized effectively in easily relatable sections "UNSEEN..." is an excellent resource for ethnic studies teachers, photography students, and collectors of African American memorabilia. Created with empathy and aesthetic understanding the reason this book resonated so deeply with me was because each photo was taken with such care and respect
December 6, 2017
A phenomenal book! Pictures taken many years ago about prominent African-Americans is available for the first time. This book is well written and presents us with an examination on why previous editors and other newspaper personnel chose not to print these photographs to accompany articles for the paper. I highly recommend this book.
February 17, 2018
This book is beautiful and stunning. It shows aspects of the African American experience and exposed me to names of men and women I didn’t know and fully appreciate. I look forward to more books that showcase a deeper sense of emotion of times gone by. Which encourages me to reflect and compare to our current days.
March 6, 2018
A fantastic collection of photographs for the New York Times Photo Archives. Some photos feature the rich and famous, while other photos capture everyday life. An absolute must for any photography aficionado or anyone interested in the civil rights movement era in America.
October 14, 2022
Lovely book about rarely seen civil rights heroes. Photography is outstanding.
September 30, 2019
While the photos are interesting-some of the explanations and captions don't flesh out the moment completely. I did learn of several important people who operated either behind the scenes or were instrumental earlier than the "name fame" folks of the 60's and 70's.
January 16, 2018
This is no ordinary coffee table book. The history behind each photograph was extraordinary and appreciated. I think I could pick this book up at any time in the future and be just as fascinated.
Read
March 14, 2019I wish there were more of these books. The photos are critically important.
March 20, 2019
Loved the history and the photos. Also enjoyed the glimpses into the newspaper business.
April 14, 2021
So many of these photos took me back in time.
The one that I loved the most was of Shirley Chisholm. Here are a few of the words I would use to describe how she looked at that moment in time...magnificent, trustworthy, poised, intelligent, prepared.
Here are HER words.
"America has the laws and the material resources it takes to insure justice for all it's people. What it lacks is the heart, the humanity, the Christian love that it would take."
"That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I would think, that our society is not yet either just or free."
The one that I loved the most was of Shirley Chisholm. Here are a few of the words I would use to describe how she looked at that moment in time...magnificent, trustworthy, poised, intelligent, prepared.
Here are HER words.
"America has the laws and the material resources it takes to insure justice for all it's people. What it lacks is the heart, the humanity, the Christian love that it would take."
"That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I would think, that our society is not yet either just or free."
March 8, 2021
I really enjoyed this, and thought the range of images selected was really good, balancing artistry with moments and putting a weight on ways of seeing figures and spaces differently.
I did wish there was less defensiveness in the text (e.g. he was the first Black photographer on our staff but that was the same everywhere/he was denied work due to his race at these named newspapers before we, the Times, hired him). Similarly, I could have done without the qualifiers around suggested racial biases of editors, though I understand such language was likely a legal necessity.
I did wish there was less defensiveness in the text (e.g. he was the first Black photographer on our staff but that was the same everywhere/he was denied work due to his race at these named newspapers before we, the Times, hired him). Similarly, I could have done without the qualifiers around suggested racial biases of editors, though I understand such language was likely a legal necessity.
July 18, 2026
A valuable critique of subtle racism in prominent media throughout the 20th century, which still resonates today. The New York Times and other publications haven’t changed. Coded language in articles. Highlighting bad press for marginalized groups and movements, while they turn a blind eye to obvious corruption in the institutions.
Thank god for the rise of independent media that can be held up by small-dollar donations.
Thank god for the rise of independent media that can be held up by small-dollar donations.
November 17, 2018
Much of the American Black experience remains out of sight and out of mind (or harrowed by criminality and inequities); inaccessible and hidden; until now. "Unseen" is candid and free of excuses. A pertinent read especially now, proving there's voice behind a photo; especially for those who remain largely unheard.
September 21, 2021
Such an excellent collection of photos. If you really want to hear about how impactful this book is though, you really ought to watch its video book review here:
https://youtu.be/2eHq0hc1_e4
"How are you live even though you feel unseen even though you're visible?"
Perhaps it's more impactful in context... hmm. Anyhow, great book, great video review. Check them both out.
https://youtu.be/2eHq0hc1_e4
"How are you live even though you feel unseen even though you're visible?"
Perhaps it's more impactful in context... hmm. Anyhow, great book, great video review. Check them both out.
August 26, 2023
Interesting photos and text in which the Times pleads guilty to its historical weakness in not giving stories about Black culture and politics sufficient attention from the 1930s through the 1980s. Much here about the civil rights movement in the South and daily life in New York’s black neighborhoods is especially interesting.
June 29, 2018
An amazing and poignant book. The photos combined with their backstory enlightened, fascinated, and gripped me. These images have never before been published. This is an astounding work chronicling some of the important moments of black history in our country. Well worth your time.
February 6, 2023
Lovely, thought provoking, fascinating history locked in the NYT archives that I am very happy to see be unearthed and appreciated. So many individuals whose stories deserve to be known pulled together here
February 14, 2023
Thanks to Questlove for mentioning this book in Music Is History. I really enjoyed it.
June 24, 2024
I enjoyed this book. The story about the candidate, Grady O'Cummings III, who faked his death for a while, was shocking. I liked that they would speculate why a story was unpublished back in the day.
February 24, 2018
Photographs never published with their back stories. Amazing reflection on modern African American history.
April 12, 2018
Just the right amount of text to give you background on each image, but the book is about the photos first and foremost, and they are incredible.
May 31, 2018
Fabulous!
March 26, 2020
Inventive, educational use of archival photographs.
July 13, 2020
This is a treasure that we can only hope other archives will imitate--there's so much history to unearth out there, that tells a much more complete story than we've ever known.
February 15, 2021
Absolutely wonderful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews