A GALLERY FOR FINE PHOTOGRAPHY
322 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA  70117
Telephone 504-568-1313
Fax 504-568-1322
www.agallery.com

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March 11, 1998

In conjunction with 
A New Orleans Celebration of African 
and Caribbean Culture

A Gallery for Fine Photography
presents an exhibition of original photographs by


James VanDerZee
Vintage Harlem Photographs

April 1, 1998 - May 1, 1998

James VanDerZee was raised in a quiet, traditional New England town.  He moved to New York in 1916 and opened his first photographic studio and gallery on West 135th Street.  Around 1918 he opened GGG Photo Studio at 272 Lenox Avenue, and would remain at this location for over forty years, documenting the Harlem Renaissance.  Throughout the 1920s and '30s, he was the photographer of choice in the thriving, cosmopolitan community of Harlem.  He photographed its celebrities, organizations, events, and everyday people with a tremendous sense of liveliness, dignity, and pride.  VanDerZee, who has been compared with the great photographers Nadar and August Sander, produced an unparalleled photographic record of a unique time and culture.  VanDerZee's work was rediscovered in 1969 with the extensive "Harlem On My Mind" exhibition and he consequently achieved celebrity status during the 1970s and '80s. 

This exhibition features original vintage photographs from James VanDerZee's many decades as Harlem's preeminent photographer.  Portraits of individuals and groups, street scenes, musicians, parades and performers will be on display.  VanDerZee's ability to pose his subjects and his attention to backdrops and studio objects result in fascinating and flattering portraits of his subjects.  His photographs on the streets of Harlem are remarkable documents of African-American culture during the first of half of this century.

Book Available:
VanDerZee: Photographer, 1886-1983

For further information, call 504-568-1313.