Photos by James Van Der Zee 1886-1983, A photographer best known for his portraits of Black New Yorkers. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. #incelebrationofblackhistory | In Celebration Of Black History

Jamel Shabazz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of fifteen, he picked up his first camera and started to document his peers. Inspired by photographers Leonard Freed, James Van Der Zee, and Gordon Parks, he was marveled with their documentation of the African American community. In 1980, as a concerned photographer with a clear vision he embarked on a mission to extensively document various aspects of life in New York City, from youth culture to a wide range of social conditio

Photographer James Van Der Zee—the world-renowned chronicler of Black life in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance and decades thereafter—was a virtuoso portraitist and one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. Join Met curator Jeff Rosenheim and Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, as they explore the new James Van Der Zee Archive at The Met—a landmark collaborative initiative to research, conserve, and provide full public access to the