Using images from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography, this article examines the ways Black Americans from the 19th century used photography as a tool for self-empowerment and social change.
In that spirit, this article – using images from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan – examines different ways Black Americans from the 19th century used photography as a tool for self-empowerment and social change.
Black studio portraits Cabinet card portraits of African Americans from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography. Left: Man with Pipe, circa 1887. Right: Woman in Silk Dress, circa 1888. William L. Clements Library
Speaking about how accessible photography had become during his time, Douglass once stated: “What was once the special and exclusive luxury of the rich and great is now the privilege of all. The humblest servant girl may now possess a picture of herself such as the wealth of kings could not purchase fifty years ago.”
February 11, 2021
Arabella Chapman, pictured above, was a Black music teacher from New York. Images from her family photo albums appear in Framing Identity. // Photograph courtesy of Arabella Chapman carte-de-visite albums (1878-[1890s]), William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan (Finding Aid).With its latest virtual exhibit, the University of Michigan is exploring how 19th century Black Americans used the power of photography to express their identity and grow their communities.
Now available for view online,
Framing Identity: Representations of Empowerment and Resilience in the Black Experience is inspired by Frederick Douglass’ view on picture-making. Often considered the most photographed American of the 19th century, the abolitionist once said that picture-making is the secret to poets, performers, and prophets’ success.