GGG Photo Studio at Christmas

James VanDerZee, GGG Photo Studio at Christmas, 1933, gelatin silver print with applied color, sheet: 8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Julia D. Strong Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1994.57.4

Artwork Details

Title: GGG Photo Studio at Christmas
Artist: James VanDerZee
Date: 1933
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sheet: 8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm.)
Credit Line: Museum purchase through the Julia D. Strong Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums Description: gelatin silver print with applied color
Classifications: Photography
Photoprint
Subjects: Cityscape — New York — New York
Children
African American
Ceremony — holiday — Christmas
Architecture Interior — studio — GGG Photo Studio
Object Number: 1994.57.4
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1994.57.4

Artwork Description

In the GGG Photo Studio, children gather around a luminous Christmas tree for a festive group portrait. Every child proudly holds a neatly wrapped package, a sign of uncommon prosperity in the year 1933. Two iridescent curtains frame a peaceful scenic backdrop to create a sophisticated environment for this special occasion. After he developed the photograph, VanDerZee applied specks of gold paint, adding pizazz to the sepia-toned print.
VanDerZee was Harlem’s resident photographer for more than six decades. During his heyday he photographed every aspect of community life: weddings, funerals, family portraits, church groups, athletic clubs, and even local celebrities. Notably, he served as the official photographer for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. VanDerZee took great care to create an elegant environment for his subjects, using elaborate backdrops, props, and costumes, as well as extensive retouching.

A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2013