Representing: Vernacular Photographs of, by, and for African Americans

Representing: Vernacular Photographs of, by, and for African Americans brings together studio portraits from an important North Portland family album, vernacular snapshots, and Polaroids to demonstrate the rich diversity of African-American life and experience from the late 1800s through the 1990s. Throughout the history of photography, the representation of African Americans has been problematic and, until recently, understudied. During the 19th and 20th centuries, negative depictions of African Americans published in the popular press distorted white audiences’ understanding of black life and culture. Personal, everyday photographs made by, for, and of African Americans, rarely seen by wider audiences, serve as important counter-images to the stereotypical media portrayals of the time.