30 Rare Portraits of African American Life in 1900
by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Many American students have been taught about the landmark 1900 World’s Fair held for 7 months in Paris and attended by more than 48 million people. Far less known is the Exhibit of American Negroes, coordinated by three African American men — scholar W.E.B. Dubois, assistant librarian at the Library of Congress Daniel Murray, and lawyer Thomas Calloway. The purpose of the exhibit, which was housed at the World’s Fair, was to showcase African American life, achievement and contributions to society. Dubois described it as “an honest straightforward exhibit of a small nation of people, picturing their life and development without apology or gloss, and above all made by themselves. In a way this marks an era in the history of the Negroes of America.”
The exhibit included more than 500 photos as well as black scholarly work, official paperwork displaying black inventions and documentation on the progress of blacks since the Civil War.
The exhibit came at a difficult time for African Americans. Slavery had been abolished just 35 years earlier, and lynchings were at an all-time high. Not surprisingly it was largely ignored by mainstream American newspapers. Nonetheless it is a fascinating picture of African American life at the turn of the century.
Home of an African American lawyer, Atlanta, Georgia, with men, women, and children posed on porch of houseFisk University, Nashville, Tenn., 1900 – dining hall5 female Negro officers of Women’s League, Newport, R.I.Sisters of the Holy Family, New Orleans, La.Group of Children from the Model School, Fisk University, Nashville Tenn.Howard Univ., Washington, D.C., ca. 1900 – elementary school students exerciseTwo African American children sitting on steps to porchFour African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, GeorgiaAfrican American girl, half-length portrait, with right hand to cheek, with illustrated book on tableAfrican American children posed for portrait on a porchKindergarten at Haines Normal and Industrial Institute, Augusta, Georgia.Sewing class at Haines Normal and Industrial Institute, Augusta, GeorgiaAfrican American women holding umbrellas to provide shade from the sun, with two men, and with a building (church or meeting house) in the backgroundAfrican American boy standing with horse attached to plowTwo African American children feeding chickens in a fenced-in yardAfrican Americans standing outside of a churchAfrican Americans in church in GeorgiaTwo African American children with a dog in GeorgiaAfrican American man giving piano lesson to young African American womanAfrican American boy seated on porch of house, another African American boy standing with bicycle on porch of another house, with two young African American women on steps, GeorgiaAfrican American men and women posed for portrait on stepsAfrican American family posed for portrait seated on lawnMembers of the First Congregational Church, Atlanta, Georgia, posed outside the brick churchRoger Williams University–Nashville, Tenn.–Normal classHouses on unpaved street in GeorgiaLeigh Street Pharmacy, Richmond, Va.Company D, 8th Illinois Volunteer RegimentDavid Tobias Howard, an undertaker, his mother, and wife, Atlanta, Georgia; seated in a horse-drawn carriage with tree-shaded house in backgroundTwo African American children feeding chickens in a yard in GeorgiaAfrican American man and woman, half-length portrait, standing in barnyard
Wow! Ladies, what are your thoughts? You can see more photos and documents here.
Beautiful pictures. however what always surprised on BGLH (but I guess this would be the same in any bloack-oriented magasine in the United states) is how the people are always labelled black or african american even when it is obvious that they are mixed (even if this mix came from 100yers ago you are still mixed). To me as a “real” african woman it is like refusing a full part of your history. While it might be understandable to reject the white heritatge because of the history and abuse it might carry, I am really unconformable because you also reject the indian (native) that you certainly have.
It is offensive to all thioe non-black ancestors that you add, be t becase of violence or of love…
So to me for instance Obama is not black, sorry girls he is “mulato” metisse in french. This is not pejorative, just stating a fact. And he is even more white than black seeing that he did not knew the black side of his heritage. To me his blackness is linked to how other people sees him; and the moment you start defining yourself in regards to other people view…you are lost….
So be proud to have so many origins converge in just one continent to make what is America (the continent not the country) today…
Sorry about my English if any fault, I am french-speaking.
This is a great example of how the facts can be strewn together to sew the seeds of division and mistrust in a way that seems, at once, diabolically briliant, and blissfully ignorant. As you may note, neither one of those descriptions are good.
I won’t lie. My family has quite a few pics that nobody living knows or remembers who the people are. Write it on the back while you can. my aunt’s husband’s family has one of a guy in his tennis outfit holding a racket that I love.
great look into their daily lives and a lot of those hairstyles were stunning! wish they had tutorials ahaha
but seriously was this around the time of the hot comb? I’m not even sure when relaxers came about to be honest. but I need answers and I need tutorials!
the girl on the photo labelled “African American girl, half-length portrait, with right hand to cheek, with illustrated book on table” is strikingly beautiful
Wow 1900? This pictures are awesome remembrances of African American history. I absolutely love the way everyone dressed: poised and respectable. I love these!
The one with the girl and man at the piano is stunning. When I was a little girl I loved watching and reading about this period and I always asked to see regular pictures of black folks not related to slavery and they were just not accessible. Too often, when we look into our history we start at the point of conflict when people were fighting for rights or for freedom which is important but it’s nice to see us woven within the fabric of early American life going to school, church, farming and playing.
by
Black Girl With Long Hair
17 Responses
Rare and awesome pictures we DON’T see often.
Beautiful pictures. however what always surprised on BGLH (but I guess this would be the same in any bloack-oriented magasine in the United states) is how the people are always labelled black or african american even when it is obvious that they are mixed (even if this mix came from 100yers ago you are still mixed). To me as a “real” african woman it is like refusing a full part of your history. While it might be understandable to reject the white heritatge because of the history and abuse it might carry, I am really unconformable because you also reject the indian (native) that you certainly have.
It is offensive to all thioe non-black ancestors that you add, be t becase of violence or of love…
So to me for instance Obama is not black, sorry girls he is “mulato” metisse in french. This is not pejorative, just stating a fact. And he is even more white than black seeing that he did not knew the black side of his heritage. To me his blackness is linked to how other people sees him; and the moment you start defining yourself in regards to other people view…you are lost….
So be proud to have so many origins converge in just one continent to make what is America (the continent not the country) today…
Sorry about my English if any fault, I am french-speaking.
This is a great example of how the facts can be strewn together to sew the seeds of division and mistrust in a way that seems, at once, diabolically briliant, and blissfully ignorant. As you may note, neither one of those descriptions are good.
Beautiful black people simply.
Awesome pictures.
As a librarian I thank you for sharing.
They all look amazing. Nice to see us so dignified and beautiful instead of what the media always shows us. Lovely.
I won’t lie. My family has quite a few pics that nobody living knows or remembers who the people are. Write it on the back while you can. my aunt’s husband’s family has one of a guy in his tennis outfit holding a racket that I love.
Very, very nice. I truly enjoy the historical articles on this blog!
great look into their daily lives and a lot of those hairstyles were stunning! wish they had tutorials ahaha
but seriously was this around the time of the hot comb? I’m not even sure when relaxers came about to be honest. but I need answers and I need tutorials!
yep, they had hot combs & very primitive relaxers back in the day
the girl on the photo labelled “African American girl, half-length portrait, with right hand to cheek, with illustrated book on table” is strikingly beautiful
Wow 1900? This pictures are awesome remembrances of African American history. I absolutely love the way everyone dressed: poised and respectable. I love these!
The one with the girl and man at the piano is stunning. When I was a little girl I loved watching and reading about this period and I always asked to see regular pictures of black folks not related to slavery and they were just not accessible. Too often, when we look into our history we start at the point of conflict when people were fighting for rights or for freedom which is important but it’s nice to see us woven within the fabric of early American life going to school, church, farming and playing.
Thanks for sharing this. Wonderful! Do they know the photographers?
Unfortunately no. These pictures are from the Library of Congress and no photographer is identified.
Really, really cool. Love it!