Provenance

Ms. Florence Lunn

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This black-and-white photograph depicts a woman standing next to a car with a man seated inside. The car is oriented horizontally across the photograph, pointed towards the right, and the two people are in the center of the photograph, both facing the right with their heads turned towards us. The woman is closer to us, and she wears a long fur coat that goes down to her ankles, a small hat, and black heels, standing with her hands in the pockets of her coat. The man in the car wears a similar fur coat and a wide-brimmed hat. The woman appears to have pale skin, while the man's skin appears darker, although he is also partially in shadow. The car is gleaming, with details in white and chrome. In the background there are gray buildings, and other cars are partially visible.
James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Couple, Harlem, 1932, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.16

Couple, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1932, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.16

This sepia-toned photograph shows a group of people standing on and in front of the steps of a building. The individuals are wearing formal attire, including suits, ties, dresses, and hats, with one woman holding a child and another child standing on the bottom left. They almost all face us. Most of the people in the photograph have dark skin, although a few at the top of the steps appear to have lighter skin. A man in the center wears a round black hat and a white shawl over his shoulders. One of his hands is raised in the air, while the other rests on a book that another man holds out to him. In front of him is a tall stool or low table. A banner on the left is attached to the side of the building, and it reads "The Moorish Zionist Temple of the Moorish Jews." The building is dark gray and appears to be made of stone blocks.
James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Black Jews, Harlem, 1929, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.13

Black Jews, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1929, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.13

This long, horizontal, black-and-white photograph shows a group of Black children standing and sitting close together. Many look towards us, but some look at each other. The children vary in their poses, expressions, hairstyles, and clothing. Some wear caps on their heads. Some children are standing with arms by their sides, while others are sitting cross-legged. At the center of the image, one tall child stands up, their hands on their hips, looking to the right. On the right side, there appears to be an adult standing behind the long group of children. The background is a solid brick wall, and the gray floor is reflective.
James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Swimming Team, Harlem, 1925, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.11

Swimming Team, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1925, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.11

This is a black-and-white photograph of a classroom with students seated in ornate wooden desks. The room is lit with natural light coming in from large windows at the top. The walls are wooden and decorated with papers and photographs, including a framed portrait on the right. There are rows of desks with detailed metalwork on the side panels, and while some of the desks closest to us are empty, there are several rows of students in the center of the photograph. The students are mostly facing the left, but some turn their heads to look at us. Many of them hold books. They are dressed formally, and most appear to have dark skin, although one or two seem to have lighter skin. In the back a woman with dark skin stands behind the desks, her arms behind her back, wearing a white dress.
James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Whittier Preparatory School, Phoebus, Virginia, 1907, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.2

Whittier Preparatory School, Phoebus, Virginia

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1907, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.2

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Portrait of Two Brothers and Their Sister, 1931, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.15

Portrait of Two Brothers and Their Sister

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1931, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.15

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, The Heiress, Harlem, 1938, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.17

The Heiress, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1938, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.17

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Portrait of an Actor, Harlem, 1929, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.10

Portrait of an Actor, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1929, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.10

This black-and-white photograph depicts two individuals, a woman and a young girl, standing on the left in front of a thin wooden plank that crosses a body of water. The woman is upright, her body facing us, her head looking off to the right. She has pale skin and dark hair parted down the middle and shaped into two thick, curving sections. She wears a long skirt, a white shirt with a high collar, a bow tie, and a dark suit jacket. She appears to hold or stand next to a large bunch of leaves on the right that partially obscures her. The child stands to the left, her head turned to the left. She has slightly darker skin than the woman and short dark hair that is styled into two braids or bunches tied with white ribbons. The child wears a light-colored dress with a frilled collar and dark boots, and she is holding flowers in one hand and a small doll in the other. The two people are surrounded by tall vegetation, including grass and shrubs, with a large tree in the background. In the bottom right corner, under the wooden plank, are large stones and the edge of a body of water.
James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Kate and Rachel Van Der Zee, Lenox, Massachusetts, 1909, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.4

Kate and Rachel Van Der Zee, Lenox, Massachusetts

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1909, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.4

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Nude, Harlem, 1923, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.6

Nude, Harlem

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1923, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.6

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson, Mrs. Turner, Lenox, Massachusetts, 1905, printed 1974, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2021.22.1.1

Mrs. Turner, Lenox, Massachusetts

James Van Der Zee, Richard Benson · 1905, printed 1974 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2021.22.1.1