Haverford College

Visit Lutnick Library Level 2 to view this student-curated exhibit!

James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) produced some of the most iconic images of the Harlem Renaissance, at once documenting and contributing to its creative, intellectual, and political ferment. Known for his technically precise and beautiful photographs, Van Der Zee bore witness to the multi-dimensional lives of Black Americans in the period between the two world wars, offering visual testimony to Black success, family, and futurity. He approached the photograph as a site of creative innovation, using theatrical backdrops, layered negatives, retouching, and etching to produce a sense of drama, setting the scene for Black artistic and political possibility. This exhibit was developed as a capstone project by students in Lindsay Reckson's ENGL/VIST215: Realism, Race, and Photography.