‘Remember Me’ Highlights Black Americans’ Self-Expression in Early Photography
In a time when photography was a novel technology, the visual documentation of the 19th century largely favored affluent, white individuals. The exhibition ‘Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography’ at the National Gallery of Art will showcase images taken of and by Black Americans, highlighting their lived experiences before, during, and after the Civil War.
Opening on November 7 and running through March 14 in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will feature around 70 pieces, including gelatin silver prints, daguerreotypes, tintypes, and ambrotypes. Many items will be displayed in ornate folding cases, reflecting their fragility and the artistic endeavors of pioneering Black photographers like James Van Der Zee.
This exhibition aims to illuminate the complexities of race, freedom, and agency, offering a broader narrative of self-expression and entrepreneurial spirit among African Americans during a time when such representation was often overlooked.
Source: www.thisiscolossal.com
