Black Artists in Photography, 1840-1940

by George Sullivan

A collection of works by various early African-American photographers celebrates the artistry of this previously ignored group of artists, including Jules Lion, Augustus Washington, James P. Ball, Addison Scurlock, Cornelius M. Battey, and the Goodridge brothers.

Genres: Photography

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

George Sullivan is a best-selling nonfiction author with more than 100 books to his credit. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I should've given it four stars because it's rather slim and meant for the "juvenile" market, but I do think all five stars are deserved for the care and attention the author pays to his subjects, and how earnestly he believes their stories should be shared. As he puts it in the prologue: "Most books that document the history of photography, even those considered to be the most reliable, make no mention of African-American photographers. It is as if they never existed." Further props to the author for going out of his way to discuss the existence of black *women* photographers, even tho no early photographs from these women are known to have survived. The information and photographs shared in this book about six well-known-in-their-time photographers was illuminating and moving. I'm really excited about reading more. (And the author does recommend some excellent-sounding books.)