Harlem: A Century in Images

by Deborah Willis, Cheryl Finley, Elizabeth Alexander

A century of Harlem, through the eyes and lenses of some of the most important artists and photographers of the twentieth century. The vibrant and bustling neighborhood occupying the upper reaches of Manhattan has been at the crossroads of the artistic, literary, and political currents of the African-American community since the early days of the twentieth century.

Home to writers and revolutionaries, artists and agitators, Harlem has been both subject and inspiration for countless photographers. This sweeping photographic survey includes nearly two hundred images that tell the story of Harlem - its distinctive landscape and extraordinary inhabitants - throughout the twentieth century. Featured artists include: Gordon Parks, James VanDerZee, Eve Arnold, Alice Attie, Cornell Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Richard Avedon, Dawoud Bey, Chester Higgins, Jr., Helen Levitt, Aaron Siskind, Bruce Davidson, Roy DeCarava, Leonard Freed, Carl Van Vechten, and Weegee. The book features essays by leading scholars of African-American studies and art - including Deborah Willis, Cheryl Finley, Elizabeth Alexander, and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - which are paired with the work of eighty artists and photographers, affording this enclave the richest chronicling in its history.

Genres: Photography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2010

About the author

Dr. Willis is chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harlem In Photographs

Harlem has been home to many ethnic groups over its long history, but it will always be known as the cultural center of the United States' African American community. A project of the Studio Museum in Harlem, "Harlem: A Century in Images" (2010) is a beautifully produced, coffee-table sized book that includes over 250 photographs of Harlem and its people by more than 50 photographers beginning in 1911 and concluding in 2009. The Studio Museum in Harlem was founded in 1968 and has the goal of promoting the works of artists of African descent with a focus on Harlem.

In reading through the book, I found a sense of continuity and identity more than a feeling of change. Looking at the people, the streets, and the landmarks, I had a feeling of a frozen moment in time with scenes from the 1920s, for example, recognizable in scenes from the 1990s. The book has a strong sense of place in capturing an image of Harlem through diversity.

The photographs illustrate the broad, varied scope of Harlem life. They include scenes of famous musicians, ranging from Theolonius Monk to Dianna Ross, artists, such as photographer James VanDerZee, athletes, including Jack Johnson and Joe Louis, writers, such as Langston Hughes, and political leaders ranging from Marcus Garvey to Malcolm X. The book includes scenes of high life and lavish entertainments together with scenes of pool halls and graffiti. The people of Harlem, of every economic class and in almost every circumstance, tend to dress up in what the book quotes Zora Neale Hurson describing as "decorating the decoration" and in what young Harlemites describe by the phrase "you're so extra". The photographs also include scenes of poverty and abysmal living conditions. There are scenes of street life and of life inside homes, stores, churches, theaters. There are children and elderly, solitary individuals, families, and large groups. Photographs of political rallies are juxtaposed with photos of weddings and leisure activities. Some of the photos or by little known photographers. Many famous photographers have lived in or worked in Harlem over the years, and they are well-represented in this collection. The volume includes many photos by include James VanDerZee, Aaron Siskind, Weegee, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Gordon Parks, and others. Some photographs are panoramic and spread over two pages while others occupy a single page down to about 1/4 page. Reproductions are clear. With the exception of some of the more recent photographs, the collection is in black and white. Captions and in many instances explanatory texts accompany the photographs.

The photographs are easily the primary attraction of the volume, but the book also includes valuable essays. Thelma Gordon, Director of the Studio Museum, offers an introduction to Harlem and the photographs. The photographs are arranged chronologically in four large sections each of which begins with an introductory essay. Thus Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Deborah Willis contributes an essay "Harlem Seen" to the first part of the book covering Harlem through about the mid-1940's. Cheryl Finley, Professor of Art History at Cornell, introduces the section of the volume covering "Harlem at Mid-Century". Elizabeth Alexander, Chair of the Department of African-American Studies at Yale, carries Harlem's photographic story through from 1970 to the end of the 20th Century and beyond.

The book offers an almost timeless picture of Harlem and of the character it has assumed in the minds of Americans of every background. Readers interested in Harlem, American urban history, or urban photography will love this book. Readers interested in a history of Harlem as well as photographs may wish to read "Harlem: The Four Hundred Year History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America" by Jonathan Gill.

Robin Friedman

[Jesse Rhines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!