"JAMES VAN DER ZEE" par Liliane De COCK & Reginald McGHEE. Editions Morgan & Morgan Monograph, Dobbs Ferry, New York, 1973. Grand in-8, couverture toilée bordeaux sous jaquette photo. 160 pages. Texte en anglais, introduction deReginia A. Perry, illustré de 118 reproductions photographiques noir & blanc, pleine page pour la plupart, de James Van Der Zee.

 

"The photographic documentation of American life began in the 1840s, and became all-pervasive in the 20th century. Before World War II, studio photographers, photojournalists and documentarians, photo organizations such as The Byron Co., Brown Brothers, The Farm Security Administration Historical Unit, all devoted most of their attention to majority Americans. We do not lack pictures of white celebrities, newsmakers, immigrants, laborers, the life of the middle class and "high society". But on the whole we do sadly similar records of America's minorities. However, within Black America a few photographers were steadily and sensitively recording the reality of their own people and communities. One of the most important of these is James Van Der Zee, a professional photographer since the early 1900s. For almost half-century, the solid families of Harlem passed through Van Der Zee's GGG Studio : proud parents, winsome children, clergymen, newlyweds, lodge members, business and social leaders, glamour-struck young women, entertainers - the entire spectrum of the community. Also, Van Der Zee frequently went outside the studio with his camera. The result was thousands of images of particularly American people and events..."

 

Ref LPB0746