Generations in Black and White brochure

For euerUone uho

*ONE OF THE MOST BRIIIIANT episodes in the lJames \fleldon Van Vechten his friend Langston Memoriall collection," wrote Carl to Johnson Hughes, "is my mounted photographs of Negroes prominent in the arts and sciences." Van Vechten's black and white photographs of distinguished African Americans in the arts, literature, sciences, education, civil rights, and athletics are in some ways the synosure of the James \fleldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro tuts and Letters at Yale University. Established by Van Vechten in1941 and opening officially in 1950, the collection honors the memory of James \Teldon Johnson, lawyer, poet, novelist, civil rights activist, and at the time of their meeting in 1924, executive secretary of the National

missed the magic.

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NMCP). The photographs are on loan from theJohnson collection, and vividly illustrate how Van Vechten employed the emerging art form of photography to document the changing face of African-American culture.

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1880 Van Vechten's interest in AfricanAmerican culture was nurtured in the home of his parents, Amanda Fitch and

fln exhibition of

photog

ra

phs

documenting

Charles Duane Van Vechten. His father was the co-founder of Piney \floods

School, a primary and secondary school for African-American children located

in rural Mississippi. The father's example of philanthropy and patronage had a lasting impact upon the son. Van Vechten continued to represent the family interest in the Piney \ilood School long after his father's death. From 1899 to 1903, while a student at the University of Chicago, Van Vechten's interest in African-American culture was deepened by his exposure to ragtime and to such artists as Bert \Villiams, Carita Day, Bob Cole, and George \[alker, all of whom performed at Chicago's Old Pekin Theater. \[hen Van Vechten left Chicago for New York City in 1906 he enjoyed not only greater exposure to African-American culture, but as music and drama critic for the Neu York Press and later as music critic for the lfea York Times, he would write laudatory and prophetic reviews of the performances of such artists as Paul Robeson and Ethel \7aters, Van Vechten's propitious introduction to James \fleldon Johnson in 1924 \[hite, then assistant secretary of the NAACP, moved Van Vechten

by \falter

the changing face

from the periphery to the center of African-American culture in New York City.

As executive secretary of the NAACP, Johnson was in a unique position to introduce Van Vechten to the artists and writers associated with the New Negro movement. Impressed by the talent of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and many others, Van Vechten supported and advanced the careers

of flfrican-Hmerican

of these writers through public endorsements, substantial contributions to support the literary prizes awarded by the Urban League, and private influence.

ALTHOUGH KEENTY AWARE of Van Vechten's efforts to promote African-American culture, many African-American intellectuals felt almost betrayed following the publication of Nigger Heauen(1926), the first novel of Harlem life by a white author. In the pages of the Crlsls, nf. E B. Du Bois expressed the opinion of many astonished readers in his review of ATgger Heauen: "1 cannot fbr the life of me see in this work either sincerity or arI, deep thought, or truthful industry. It seems that Mr. Van Vechten tried to do something bizxre and he certainly succeeded," In contrast to Du Bois, James \fleldon Johnson praised Van Vechten as "the most sophisticated of American

culture

novelists."

In spite of the mixed reviews of Nigger Heauen,Yan Vechten was one of a small group of European-American intellectuals who recognized the uniqueness, depth, and far-reaching significance of African-American culture. Like Du

1932

until

196+.

Bois, Johnson and Alain Locke, the principal theorist of the New Negro move,1925'),Yan Vechten not only believed in ment and editor of Tbe New Negro

the legitimacy of African-American culture, but he also believed that AfricanAmerican art

forms-the spirituals, ragtime, the blues, and jazz-constituted

the most advanced and profound expression of a national art.

Van Vechten was not the only champion of African-American culture to emerge during this period. Both white and black patrons advanced the careers and intellectual development of the writers associated with the New Negro

movement. Of the white patrons some of the most important are: Chadotte Mason, vrho provided financial assistance to Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alain Locke; Joel E, Springarn, former president of the NMCp and founder of the Springarn Medal, the NAACp's most distinguished annual award; and Noel Sullivan, a San Francisco businessman who provided financial assistance to langston Hughes. Of the black patrons some of the most impor-

\f. E. B. Du Bois, who promoted the careers of black writers by publishing their work in the Cnsis; Jessie Fauset, a novelist who provided encouragement to the witers of the New Negro movement through her positton as literary editor of the Crlsls; Caspar Holstein, a racketeer who contributed funds to suppofi the literary prizes sponsored by the NAACp's Crisis and the Urban tant are:

League's )ppofiuniry;James \fleldon Johnson, who published the poerry of younger poets in Tbe Book o;t'American Negns Poehy; and Charles S, Johnson, executive director of research and publicity at the Urban League who organized the now-famous Civic Club Dinner of 1924, which for some marks the official beginning of the New Negro movement.

AMONG THE MANY THINGS which distinguishes Van Vechren from these patrons is his passion for photography.

ln

1932 Van Vechten received

instruction in the use of a Leica by Miquel Covarrubias, the Mexican artist.

This initiation into the possibilities of the camera had a profouncl effect upon Van Vechten; indeed, photography completely supplanted his vocation as a man of letters. For the remaining thirty-rwo years of his life until his cleath in 1964,Yan Vechten spent his days not at his desk but in the clarkroom he had installed in his Manhattan apafiment where his many subjects came, by

invitation only, to sit before his camera-e1,e.

Van Vechten's experiments earned him high praise from art critics, and his photographs were exhibited along with those of such masters as Cecil Beaton, Edward Steichen, and Man Ray. Like James Van der Zee and Roy De Carava, Van Vechten used his passion and skill as a photographer to document the changing face of African-American culture. Although Van Vechten's subjects were often famous, his photographs were neither sold nor exploited

for personal profit. According to Bruce Kellner, Van Vechten,s biographer, the1, 1vs1. "primarily gifts to his subjects and for the pleasure of their maker.,, Van Vechten established collections of photography at Fisk University.

Howard University, the Detroit Public Library, Clark-Atlanta Universit),, the New York Public Library, the Museum of the City of New york, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Princeton University, Brandeis University, the University of Iowa, and the University of New Mexico. That these collections are located at both private and public educational instrtutions reflects Van Veclrten's broad and abiding commitment to foster racial harmony fhrough

the contemplation of cultural artifacts within the framework ol research on African-American culture, AS A RECORD OF BTACK ACHIEYEMENT and black excellence, Generations in Black and lYhite constitutes a celebration of the lives of some of the most impofiant figures in twentieth-century African-American history.

As a record of a patron's abiding commitment to an evolving tradition,

Generations in Black and lVhite is proof that the shifting and complex relationship between patron and artist need not always be tainted by condescension and calculated displays of power. Finally, as a record of Van Vechten's growing mastery of photography, Generations in Black and, Wbite constitutes a powerful legacy that draws its enlarging significance from the engaged imagination of the viewer.

The organizers of Generations in Black and White wish to thank the Coca Cola Foundation, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library ofyale University for their generous support of this exhibition.

Rudolpb P. Byrd Director of African-American Studies Emory Uniuersity Curatur of the Exhihition

Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage PATI)

Generations in Black and Wleite: Pbotograples by

Athens, GA Permir No. 165

Cq.rl Van Vecleten

from tbe

James WeldonJolcnson Memoria.l Collection a.t Ya.le Uniuersity Jalnlaary 24

-If.arclal3,1994

This exhibition is offered in conjunction with the publication of Generotions in Black and

Wite; Pbotographs by Carl Van

Vechten

l,[emorial Collection, edited b,v Rudolph P. tsvrd and publishecl by The Llnnersity of Georgia Press,

.f roru

the JantesWeldcn Johnsctn

The Georgia Nluseum

olArt acknowledges the

Coca Cola Foundation

and the Beinecke Rare Book and Xlanuscript Library of Yale Llniversity for their generolls support of this exhibithn.

Partiai support for the exhibitions ancl programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appLopriations ol the Georgia General Assemblt, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

EXHIBITION TR{VEL SCHEDULE January 24 - Marcb 13, 1994 Georgia Xluseum of Art

Inirclsirr olCrnrgu Athens. Georgia

August 1 - September 15, 1994 Aubr.rrn Al enue Research Lrbrarv

Atlanta, Georgia

October 23 - December 3, 1994 Fine Arts Nluseum of the South

Mobile, Alabama

January 16 - Marcb 12, 1995 El Paso Museum of Art El Paso. Texas Phot()graph Couer, top, cletail: Carl Van Vechten, Alaitt Locke, 1941, fl x 10 inches The James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection. Beinecke Rare R<xrk and Manuscript Library, Yale University 1i2 x 10 inches CoDer, bottom, cletail: Carl Van Vechten, Langstott Hugbes' 1912'7 Photograph. The James !(eldon Johhson Memorial Collection, Reinecke Rare Book and Manuscdpt Library, Yale University

Inskle, Carl Van Vechten, Ethel \Yaters, 1938, 8 x 10 inches Photograph' 'Weldon Book and The James Johnson Memorial Collection, Beinecke Rare Manuscript Library, Yale University