Convention, Church of Christ
Artist
James Van Der Zee
(American, 1886 - 1983)
Date1928
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 7 7/8 × 9 3/4 inches (20 × 24.77 cm)
Sheet: 8 1/16 × 10 inches (20.48 × 25.4 cm)
Sheet: 8 1/16 × 10 inches (20.48 × 25.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Object number2005.27.4529
SignedSigned on image recto, lower left corner, in negative: "VANDERZEE / NYC / 1928"
InscribedOn sheet verso, upper right, in pencil: "TITLE: CONVENTION, CHURCH OF CHRIST / PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMES VAN DER ZEE / VINTAGE PRINT / REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT / PERMISSION IN WRITING / CERTIFIED: [signature of Donna M. Smith] VDZ"
MarkingsOn sheet verso, center, black stamp: "G.G.G. Photo Studio, Inc. / 109 West 135th St.";
On sheet verso, bottom, black stamp: "G.G.G. Photo Studio, Inc. / 109 West 135th St.";
On sheet verso, top, in pencil: "1-P-1656-0 (PRINT 2);
On sheet verso, left edge, in pencil: "288-1-92", "Z-81-1-2008";
On sheet verso, lower right corner, in pencil: "281-1-2008".
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionA large group of people standing in front of a church (a Church of Christ Convention).Gallery LabelIn 1912, James Van Der Zee opened a commercial studio in Harlem. Throughout the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, Van Der Zee made portraits and photographed various aspects of African-American middle class life: funerals, weddings, social clubs and gatherings (as seen here). As the official photographer for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association, he gained a unique perspective on the struggle of black Americans towards social and economic progress. Collectively, his images suggest a dynamic society structured by family, church and commerce.
Copyright© Estate of James Van Der Zee
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David Plowden
2009; printed 2014
2015.18.127
