Artist

Carl Van Vechten

born Cedar Rapids, IA 1880-died New York City 1964
Born
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
Died
New York, New York, United States
Nationalities
  • American

Exhibitions

Media - 1983.63.135 - SAAM-1983.63.135_2 - 122826
Harlem Heroes: Photographs by Carl Van Vechten
August 25, 2016April 1, 2017
At the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Carl Van Vechten (1880–1964) picked up a camera and discovered the power the photographic portrait has over the photographer himself.

Related Books

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Harlem Heroes: Photographs by Carl Van Vechten
Author Carl Van Vechten (1880–1964) began making portraits in 1932. Over the next three decades, he asked writers, musicians, athletes, politicians, and others to sit for him—many of them central figures in the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem Heroes: Photographs by Carl Van Vechten features thirty-nine images of men and women who not only fueled the New Negro movement, but also transformed the broader American culture—including James Baldwin, Ossie Davis, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ella Fitzgerald, Althea Gibson, Langston Hughes, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Bessie Smith, and others. The book includes an essay by John Jacob and biographical sketches for each sitter.