As an introduction to our upcoming exhibition Through Whose Eyes? Uncovering Bias and Reclaiming the Image, we would like to introduce a brief history of photography through the lens of black photographers, including James Ball who opened a daguerreotype studio in Cincinnati in 1845.
1. The Early Years (1840s–1900s) Photography emerged in the mid-19th century, and despite systemic barriers, Black photographers quickly took up the medium. James Presley Ball (1825–1904): One of the earliest known Black photographers in the U.S., Ball opened a daguerreotype studio in Cincinnati in 1845. His portraits of Black families, abolitionists, and political figures offered a counter-narrative to racist imagery common at the time. Augustus Washington (1820–1875): A free Black man from Connecticut, Washington photographed both Black and white clients before emigrating to Liberia, where he continued his photographic practice documenting the settler colony. The Goodridge Brothers: A family of photographers active in York, Pennsylvania, and later in Michigan, they were among the first to build a successful studio business, capturing Black middle-class life in the post–Civil War era.
2. The Early 20th Century: Documenting Dignity (1900s–1930s) During segregation and Jim Crow, Black photographers used their cameras as instruments of affirmation and resistance. Cornelius M. Battey (1873–1927): Head of photography at Tuskegee Institute, Battey’s work emphasized beauty and dignity in Black subjects, often publishing portraits in The Crisis, the NAACP’s magazine. Addison N. Scurlock (1883–1964): Operating in Washington, D.C., Scurlock photographed the Black elite, intellectuals, and events, creating an enduring record of Black achievement and self-representation during the Harlem Renaissance.
3. The Mid-Century and Civil Rights Era (1940s–1970s) As photojournalism expanded, Black photographers captured pivotal moments of social transformation. Gordon Parks (1912–2006): Perhaps the most influential African American photographer, Parks began with the Farm Security Administration and later worked for Life magazine. His photo essays—on segregation, poverty, and urban life—were groundbreaking in bringing Black experiences into mainstream consciousness. Roy DeCarava (1919–2009): Known for his deep, tonal black-and-white imagery, DeCarava captured everyday Harlem life with poetic intimacy, co-publishing The Sweet Flypaper of Life (1955) with Langston Hughes. Moneta Sleet Jr. (1926–1996): A Ebony magazine photographer who documented the Civil Rights Movement; his photograph of Coretta Scott King at her husband’s funeral won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize—the first awarded to an African American for journalism.
4. The Late 20th Century: Expanding Narratives (1980s–1990s) As art photography gained new ground, Black photographers redefined visual culture in galleries and museums. Carrie Mae Weems (b. 1953): Her “Kitchen Table Series” (1990) interrogates race, gender, and domesticity with conceptual power. Lorna Simpson (b. 1960): Blending photography and text, Simpson explored the objectification of Black women’s bodies in visual culture. Dawoud Bey (b. 1953): His street portraits and later conceptual series (like The Birmingham Project) bridge documentary and fine art, emphasizing community and memory.
5. The 21st Century: Global Perspectives and Digital Futures Contemporary Black photographers have expanded the field across continents, genres, and media. LaToya Ruby Frazier (b. 1982): Uses documentary and autobiographical photography to address environmental racism, labor, and family life in post-industrial America. Tyler Mitchell (b. 1995): The first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover (Beyoncé, 2018), Mitchell fuses fashion and portraiture with utopian visions of Black joy. Zanele Muholi (b. 1972, South Africa): A visual activist documenting LGBTQ+ and Black South African lives through powerful self-portraits and community photography. Deana Lawson (b. 1979): Her meticulously staged portraits evoke mythic, regal representations of Black identity and intimacy.
6. Legacy and Impact Across centuries, Black photographers have used the medium not only to document but also to redefine how Black life is seen. Their images challenge stereotypes, assert agency, and create archives of resilience, beauty, and truth. From daguerreotypes to digital art, the history of Black photography is the history of photography itself—expanded, reframed, and re-envisioned through eyes that refused invisibility.
We hope you enjoy our upcoming show.
-trw