Years ago when I worked in archives, I would spend hours and
hours looking through photos taken during the Harlem Renaissance era. Most of those photos were taken by James
VanDerZee, a brilliant African American photographer who had the ability to capture the true essence
of his subjects.
VanDerZee was born in Lennox, Massachusetts in 1886. As a young boy, he fell in love with "a huge contraption called a camera" and immediately taught himself how to take photos and develop the film in his own closet darkroom. At 18, he moved to New York City when the Harlem Renaissance was beginning. After working several jobs, VanDerZee opened his own photography studio and began his journey photographing everyone and everything. His photos were so well-produced, his services were in high demand for the next 60 plus years.
Andrea J. Loney introduces young readers to this amazing man in this well-written and illustrated biography picture book. I recommend it for family reading.