Black History
James Van Der Zee: Black Photographer Who Chronicled Harlem’s Heyday
James Van Der Zee (1886–1983) would have two careers in photography: locally, as Harlem’s photographer during the 1920s and 30s, and nationally, when his works from the same decades were featured in the exhibition ‘Harlem on My Mind’ at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
By Tamara Shiloh
James Van Der Zee (1886–1983) acquired his first camera at about age 14. He’d won it as a premium for selling pink and yellow silk sachets. He used the small box camera to photograph anyone who could sit long enough for a portrait.
In a short time, he had taken hundreds of photos, making him the de facto town photographer. Each picture incorporated his own distinctive flair.
Earlier though, Van Der Zee, born in Lenox, Massacxhusetts, had expressed an interest and talent in music and aspired to a career as a violinist. In 1906, he relocated to New York City with his father and brothers. Skillful at both the piano and violin, he formed the group The Harlem Orchestra. Still, his heart was in photography.
Around 1909, he found work as a darkroom assistant at a small department store concession. Six years later, he relocated to Newark, New Jersey, where he worked as a darkroom assistant and then as a photographer in a portrait studio.
That was his break, but in an unexpected way. He knew it was time to leave when he was told by his boss that no one wants his or her photo “taken by a Black man.” So, in 1916, he returned to Harlem and opened his own portrait studio at a music conservatory on 135th Street founded by his sister, Jennie Louise. VanDerZee was on the brink of becoming the most successful photographer in Harlem.
Harlem’s population was booming and works of African American artists of all genres were being noticed. Uptown residents wanted portraits, and VanDerZee began to photograph schoolchildren, church groups, wedding couples, funerals, organized parades, and legendary figures of the Harlem Renaissance.
Two years later, Van Der Zee opened the Guarantee Photo Studio in Harlem. Through photographs, he chronicled Harlem residents and their celebrations and continued for the next 40 years.
Van Der Zee would have two careers in photography: locally, as Harlem’s photographer during the 1920s and 30s, and nationally, when his works from the same decades were featured in the exhibition ‘Harlem on My Mind’ at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The economic strains brought on by the Great Depression (1929–1941) caused Van Der Zee’s income, as well as that of his customers, to decline.
The popularity of personal cameras had increased, directly affecting the need for studio photography. For the next two decades, he shot passport photos, did photo restorations, and took on miscellaneous assignments. But another door would soon open.
In 1967, photographers and photo historians rediscovered Van Der Zee’s works. His images were on display in nationwide exhibits as well as being the subject of books and documentaries. Van Der Zee then came out of retirement to photograph the celebrities promoting his work.
Some critics felt that there was no place in an art museum for Van Der Zee’s photos. Still, the rediscovery made him famous. In 1993, the National Portrait Gallery exhibited his work as a posthumous tribute to his genius.
Read more about James VanDerZee with your children: “Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!” authored by Andrea J. Loney with Keith Mallett as the illustrator.
