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James Van Der Zee’s Photographs: A Portrait of Harlem
+ Apply to be a Schomburg Center Junior Scholar
The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association
September 16, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Photographer: James Van Der Zee
Photographer James Van Der Zee created an extraordinary chronicle of life in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s and beyond. Harlem residents turned to Van Der Zee and his camera to mark special occasions. His carefully composed, cosmopolitan photographs conveyed the personalities, aspirations, and spirit of his sitters.
This website at the National Gallery of Art show some of his works from their past exhibit as well as additional information on this iconic photographer. The collection features Van Der Zee’s studio portraits, along with his photographs of Harlem nightclubs and storefronts as well as religious, social, political, and athletic community groups. Together they provide a glimpse into Harlem’s rich social life as it became an influential center of American culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
Apply Soon: Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program
A painting by Anisa Cribb for “Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined” by Schomburg Junior Scholars and on exhibit at the Schomburg Center through May 2025
Deadline extension! Applications are now due by the 18th of September for the Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars program! Students from 6th through 12th grade can apply to participate in this exciting opportunity. The program is tuition free, meeting Saturdays during the school year at the NYPL’s Schomburg Center located at 135th and Malcolm X Blvd. Junior Scholars learn about topics not usually covered in schools curriculums, focusing on the contributions of African-Americans to U.S. culture.
Activities include:
Lectures/Seminars featuring leading authorities in African-American & Africana studies
Cultural arts performances
Special workshops in music, theater, dance, video production, magazine publication, visual arts and spoken word
Research projects, with special access to the Schomburg Center collections and exhibitions
Educational tours of New York City historical and cultural sites
An Annual Youth Summit, the program’s culminating presentation and celebration in May
Find out more here!
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