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Profiles & Biographies
James Van Der Zee
African American
Photographer - Musician
Synopsis
Born on June 29, 1886, in Lenox, Massachusetts, James Van Der Zee developed a passion for photogra-
phy as a youth, and opened up his own Harlem studio in 1916. Van Der Zee became known for his de-
tailed imagery of African-American life, and for capturing celebrities such as Florence Mills and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Following hard financial times, Van Der Zee enjoyed a resurge in his career during
his later years. He died in 1983 in Washington., D.C.
Early Life and Career
James Augustus Van Der Zee; was the second of six siblings born to Elizabeth and John Van Der Zee. The Van Der Zee children were great students in general, and James learned how to play the piano and violin
as a youth. He later developed a passion for photography and took pictures for his high school.
With his brother Walter, James Van Der Zee departed for Harlem., New York, in 1906; once there he held
jobs as a waiter and elevator operator. He married Kate Brown in 1907 and the newlyweds moved to Vir-ginia, where Van Der Zee would do photography work for the Hampton Institute. After welcoming their
first child, the couple moved back to New York in 1908 (they would eventually split in 1915.
For several years, Van Der Zee put his musicianship to use, playing with Fletcher Hender-son's band and
the John Wanamaker Orchestra while alsoworking as a piano and violin teachers.
Van Der Zee obtained a job as a darkroom assistant in a New Jersy department store, and by 1916, he had open his own Harlem studio, Guarantee Photo. He eventually renamed his workplace GGG Studio, after
his second wife, Gaynella Gareenlee..(they wed in 1920..
Photographing Harlem Life
The Harlem Renaissance was in full swing during the 1920s and '30s, and for decades, Van Der Zee would photograph Harlemites of all backgrounds and occupations, though his work is particularly noted for its pioneering depiction of middle-class African-American life. He took thousands of pictures, mostly indoor portraits, and labeled each of his photos with a signature and date, which would prove to be important
for future documentation.
Although Van Der Zee photographed many African-American celebrates-including Florence Mills, Hazel
Scott and Adam Clayton Powell ,Jr.... most of his work was of the straightforward commercial studio va-
riety: weddings and funerals (including pictures of the dead for grieving families), family groups, teams, lodges, clubs, and people simply wanting to have a record of themselves in fine clothes. He often sup-
plied props or costumes and took time to carefully pose his subjects, giving the picture an accessible narrative.
Van Der Zee's photos sometimes contained special effects from the result of darkroom manipulation. In
one image, a 1920 photograph titled "Future Expectations (Wedding Day), " a young couple is presented
in bride and groom finery, with a ghostly, transparent image of a child at their feet.
Financial Hardships and a New Renaissance
With the advent of personal cameras in the middle of the century, the desire for Van Der Zee's sevices dwindled; he procured less and less commissions, though he maintained an alternative business in
image restoration and mail order sales.
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