Living Portraits: Carl Van Vechten’s Color Photographs of African Americans, 1939-1964 |
Living Portraits: Carl Van Vechten’s Color Photographs of African Americans, 1939-1964
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964), photographer, promotor of literary talent, and critic of dance, theater, and opera, had an artistic vision rooted in the centrality of the talented person. He cherished accomplishment, whether in music, dance, theater, fine art, literature, sport, or advocacy. He began to make photographic portraits in 1932; in 1939 he discovered newly available color film. For a quarter century, he invited friends and acquaintances, well-known artists, fledgling entertainers, and public intellectuals to sit for him, often against backdrops reminiscent of the vivid colors and patterns of a Matisse painting. Among his subjects are a very young Diahann Carroll, Billie Holiday in tears, Paul Robeson as Othello, Althea Gibson swinging a tennis racquet, and a procession of opera stars, composers, authors, musicians, activists, educators, and journalists who made notable contributions to the cultural and intellectual life of the country. Also included are brilliant color images of notable and everyday places: Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee; the wedding of friends; pushcarts and street scenes of Harlem; children at play in a housing project’s yard.
The Collection
Color slides of Blacks.
1,884 color Kodachrome slides, 2 x 2 inches each
[Note from Steven F. Riley] Also includes photographs of: Peter Abrahams, Prince Etuka Okala Abutu, Armenta Adams, Adele Addison, Alvin Ailey, Betty Allen, Sanford Allen, Martina Arroyo, William Attaway, Ethel Ayler, Pearl Bailey, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Roy Thompson Beresford, Mary McLeod Bethune, Charles Blackwell, McHenry Boatwright, Margaret Allison Bonds, Paul Bontemps, William Stanley Braithwaite, Carol Brice, Jonathan Brice, Maurice Brooks, Anne Wiggins Brown, Debria Brown, Roscoe Lee Browne, Joyce Bryant, Ralph J. Bunche, Dan Burley, Miriam Burton, John Carlis, Thelma Carpenter, Diahann Carroll, John Carter, Shirley Verrett Carter, Horace Cayton, Omar Clay, Ladybird Cleveland, Leo Coleman, Durward B. Collins, Janet Collins, Zebedee Collins, Clayton Corbin, Edna Cordoza, Eldzier Corter, Robert Curtis, Jimmy Daniels, Ossie Davis, Gloria Davy, Ruby Dee, William Demby, Beauford Delaney, Inez Dickerson, Hugh Dilworth, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Owen Dodson, W. E. B. DuBois, Todd Duncan, Roy Eaton, Bobby Evans, Martha Flowers, Benny Garland, Althea Gibson, Richard Gibson, John Birks “Dizzie” Gillespie, Shirley Graham, Reri Grist, Nicolas Guillen, Juanita Hall, Bertha “Chippie” Hill, Ramon Blancos Habana, Frank Harriott, Afrika Hayes, Marion Hayes, Roland Hayes, Chester Eugene Haynes, Godfrey Headley, Bomar Himes, Geoffrey Holder, Leo Holder, Charlotte Holloman, Nora Holt, Marilyn Horne, Langston Hughes, Phillipa Husley, Earle Hyman, Ivie Jackman, Annette Jackson, Mahalia Jackson, Raymond Jackson, Louise E. Jefferson, Charles Johnson, Hal Johnson, Hylan “Dots” Johnson, Marie Johnson, (Everett) LeRoi Jones , James Earl Jones, Laurence Clifton Jones, Ulysses Kay, William Melvin Kelly, Eartha (Mae) Kitt, George Lamming, Carmen De Lavallade, Everett Lee, Henry Lewis, Powell Lindsay, James Lowe, Robert Keith McFerrin, Claudia McNeil, Geraldyn (Gerri) Hodges Major, Claude Marchant, William Marshall, Mabel Mercer, Lizzie Miles, Arthur Mitchell, Edgar Mittelholzer, Mollie Moon, Linwood Morris, Willard Motley, Lorenzo Newby, Maidie Norman, Godfrey Nurse, Frederick O’Neal, Leonard de Paur, Louise Parker, Louis Peterson, Julius Perkins Jr., Mildred Perkins, Charles Perry, Ann Petry, Evelyn La Rue Pittman, Leontyne Price, Bertice Reading, Guy Rodgers, Percy Rodriguez, Pearl Showers, Edith Spurlock Sampson, Diana Sands, Harold Scott, George Shirley, Bobby (Robert Waltrip) Short, Merton Simpson, Noble Sissle, Clarence Smith Jr., William Gardner Smith, Rawn Spearman, Melvin Stewart, William Grant Still, Billy Strayhorn, Howard Swanson, Archie Savage, Wesley Tann, Ellen Tarry, Dorothy Taylor, Claude Thompson, Veronica Tyler, Margaret Tynes, Henry Van Dyke, Elaine Vance, William Warfield, Dorothy West, Moran Weston, Clarence Cameron White, Josh White, Lindsay H. White, Roy Wilkins, Billy Dee Williams, Camilla Williams, John Alfred Williams, Maurice Williford, Ellis Wilson, John W. Work, and Dale Wright.
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Tags: (Everett) LeRoi Jones, Adele Addison, Afrika Hayes, Althea Gibson, Alvin Ailey, Ann Petry, Anne Wiggins Brown, Annette Jackson, Archie Savage, Armenta Adams, Arthur Mitchell, Beauford Delaney, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Benny Garland, Bertha "Chippie" Hill, Bertice Reading, Betty Allen, Billy Dee Williams, Billy Strayhorn, Bobby (Robert Waltrip) Short, Bobby Evans, Bomar Himes, Camilla Williams, Carl Van Vechten, Carmen De Lavallade, Carol Brice, Charles Blackwell, Charles Johnson, Charles Perry, Charlotte Holloman, Chester Eugene Haynes, Clarence Cameron White, Clarence Smith Jr., Claude Marchant, Claude Thompson, Claudia McNeil, Clayton Corbin, Dale Wright, Dan Burley, Debria Brown, Diahann Carroll, Diana Sands, Dorothy Taylor, Dorothy West, Durward B. Collins, Earle Hyman, Eartha (Mae) Kitt, Edgar Mittelholzer, Edith Spurlock Sampson, Edna Cordoza, Elaine Vance, Eldzier Corter, Ellen Tarry, Ellis Wilson, Ethel Ayler, Evelyn La Rue Pittman, Everett Lee, Frank Harriott, Frederick O'Neal, Geoffrey Holder, George Lamming, George Shirley, Geraldyn (Gerri) Hodges Major, Gloria Davy, Godfrey Headley, Godfrey Nurse, Guy Rodgers, Hal Johnson, Harold Scott, Harry Belafonte, Henry Lewis, Henry Van Dyke, Horace Cayton, Howard Swanson, Hugh Dilworth, Hylan "Dots" Johnson, Inez Dickerson, Ivie Jackman, James Baldwin, James Earl Jones, James Lowe, Janet Collins, Jimmy Daniels, John Alfred Williams, John Birks "Dizzie" Gillespie, John Carlis, John Carter, John W. Work, Jonathan Brice, Josh White, Joyce Bryant, Juanita Hall, Julius Perkins Jr., Kodachrome, Ladybird Cleveland, Langston Hughes, Laurence Clifton Jones, Leo Coleman, Leo Holder, Leonard de Paur, Leontyne Price, Lindsay H. White, Linwood Morris, Lizzie Miles, Lorenzo Newby, Louis Peterson, Louise E. Jefferson, Louise Parker, Mabel Mercer, Mahalia Jackson, Maidie Norman, Margaret Allison Bonds, Margaret Tynes, Marie Johnson, Marilyn Horne, Marion Hayes, Martha Flowers, Martina Arroyo, Mary McLeod Bethune, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Maurice Brooks, Maurice Williford, McHenry Boatwright, Melvin Stewart, Merton Simpson, Mildred Perkins, Miriam Burton, Mollie Moon, Moran Weston, Nicolás Guillén, Noble Sissle, Nora Holt, Omar Clay, Ossie Davis, Owen Dodson, Paul Bontemps, Paul Robeson, Pearl Bailey, Pearl Showers, Percy Rodriguez, Peter Abrahams, Phillipa Husley, photography, Powell Lindsay, Prince Etuka Okala Abutu, Ralph J. Bunche, Ramon Blancos Habana, Rawn Spearman, Raymond Jackson, Reri Grist, Richard Gibson, Robert Curtis, Robert Keith McFerrin, Roland Hayes, Roscoe Lee Browne, Roy Eaton, Roy Thompson Beresford, Roy Wilkins, Ruby Dee, Sanford Allen, Shirley Graham, Shirley Verrett Carter, Thelma Carpenter, Todd Duncan, Ulysses Kay, Veronica Tyler, W. E. B. DuBois, Wesley Tann, Willard Motley, William Attaway, William Demby, William Gardner Smith, William Grant Still, William Marshall, William Melvin Kelly, William Stanley Braithwaite, William Warfield, Yale University, Zebedee Collins