For euerUone uho

missed the magic.

fln exhibition of

p h o t o g ra p h s

documenting

the changing face

of flfrican-Hmerican

culture

*ONE OF THE MOST BRIIIIANT episodes in the lJames \fleldon

Johnson Memoriall collection," wrote Carl Van Vechten to his friend Langston

Hughes, "is my mounted photographs of Negroes prominent in the arts and

sciences." Van Vechten's black and white photographs of distinguished African

Americans in the arts, literature, sciences, education, civil rights, and athletics

are in some ways the synosure of the James \fleldon Johnson Memorial

Collection of Negro tuts and Letters at Yale University. Established by Van

Vechten in1941 and opening officially in 1950, the collection honors the

memory of James \Teldon Johnson, lawyer, poet, novelist, civil rights activist,

and at the time of their meeting in 1924, executive secretary of the National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NMCP). The pho-

tographs are on loan from theJohnson collection, and vividly illustrate how

Van Vechten employed the emerging art form of photography to document

the changing face of African-American culture.

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1880 Van Vechten's interest in African-

American culture was nurtured in the home of his parents, Amanda Fitch and

Charles Duane Van Vechten. His father was the co-founder of Piney \floods

School, a primary and secondary school for African-American children located

in rural Mississippi. The father's example of philanthropy and patronage had a

lasting impact upon the son. Van Vechten continued to represent the family

interest in the Piney \ilood School long after his father's death. From 1899 to

1903, while a student at the University of Chicago, Van Vechten's interest in

African-American culture was deepened by his exposure to ragtime and to

such artists as Bert \Villiams, Carita Day, Bob Cole, and George \[alker, all of

whom performed at Chicago's Old Pekin Theater. \[hen Van Vechten left

Chicago for New York City in 1906 he enjoyed not only greater exposure to

African-American culture, but as music and drama critic for the Neu York Press

and later as music critic for the lfea York Times, he would write laudatory and

prophetic reviews of the performances of such artists as Paul Robeson and

Ethel \7aters,

Van Vechten's propitious introduction to James \fleldon Johnson in 1924

by \falter \[hite, then assistant secretary of the NAACP, moved Van Vechten

from the periphery to the center of African-American culture in New York City.

As executive secretary of the NAACP, Johnson was in a unique position to

introduce Van Vechten to the artists and writers associated with the New

Negro movement. Impressed by the talent of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale

Hurston, and many others, Van Vechten supported and advanced the careers

of these writers through public endorsements, substantial contributions to sup-

port the literary prizes awarded by the Urban League, and private influence.

ALTHOUGH KEENTY AWARE of Van Vechten's efforts to promote

African-American culture, many African-American intellectuals felt almost

betrayed following the publication of Nigger Heauen(1926), the first novel of

Harlem life by a white author. In the pages of the Crlsls, nf. E B. Du Bois

expressed the opinion of many astonished readers in his review of ATgger

Heauen: "1 cannot fbr the life of me see in this work either sincerity or arI,

deep thought, or truthful industry. It seems that Mr. Van Vechten tried to do

something bizxre and he certainly succeeded," In contrast to Du Bois, James

\fleldon Johnson praised Van Vechten as "the most sophisticated of American

novelists."

In spite of the mixed reviews of Nigger Heauen,Yan Vechten was one of

a small group of European-American intellectuals who recognized the unique-

ness, depth, and far-reaching significance of African-American culture. Like Du

Bois, Johnson and Alain Locke, the principal theorist of the New Negro move-

ment and editor of Tbe New Negro ,1925'),Yan Vechten not only believed in

the legitimacy of African-American culture, but he also believed that African-

American art forms-the spirituals, ragtime, the blues, and jazz-constituted

the most advanced and profound expression of a national art.

Van Vechten was not the only champion of African-American culture to

emerge during this period. Both white and black patrons advanced the careers

and intellectual development of the writers associated with the New Negro

1932 until 196+.

movement. Of the white patrons some of the most important are: ChadotteMason, vrho provided financial assistance to Langston Hughes, Zora NealeHurston, and Alain Locke; Joel E, Springarn, former president of the NMCpand founder of the Springarn Medal, the NAACp's most distinguished annualaward; and Noel Sullivan, a San Francisco businessman who provided financialassistance to langston Hughes. Of the black patrons some of the most impor-tant are: \f. E. B. Du Bois, who promoted the careers of black writers by pub-lishing their work in the Cnsis; Jessie Fauset, a novelist who provided encour-agement to the witers of the New Negro movement through her positton as

literary editor of the Crlsls; Caspar Holstein, a racketeer who contributed fundsto suppofi the literary prizes sponsored by the NAACp's Crisis and the UrbanLeague's )ppofiuniry;James \fleldon Johnson, who published the poerry ofyounger poets in Tbe Book o;t'American Negns Poehy; and Charles S, Johnson,executive director of research and publicity at the Urban League who orga-nized the now-famous Civic Club Dinner of 1924, which for some marks the

official beginning of the New Negro movement.

AMONG THE MANY THINGS which distinguishes Van Vechren fromthese patrons is his passion for photography. ln 1932 Van Vechten receivedinstruction in the use of a Leica by Miquel Covarrubias, the Mexican artist.This initiation into the possibilities of the camera had a profouncl effect uponVan Vechten; indeed, photography completely supplanted his vocation as aman of letters. For the remaining thirty-rwo years of his life until his cleath in1964,Yan Vechten spent his days not at his desk but in the clarkroom he hadinstalled in his Manhattan apafiment where his many subjects came, byinvitation only, to sit before his camera-e1,e.

Van Vechten's experiments earned him high praise from art critics, andhis photographs were exhibited along with those of such masters as CecilBeaton, Edward Steichen, and Man Ray. Like James Van der Zee and Roy DeCarava, Van Vechten used his passion and skill as a photographer to docu-ment the changing face of African-American culture. Although Van Vechten'ssubjects were often famous, his photographs were neither sold nor exploitedfor personal profit. According to Bruce Kellner, Van Vechten,s biographer,the1, 1vs1. "primarily gifts to his subjects and for the pleasure of their maker.,,

Van Vechten established collections of photography at Fisk University.Howard University, the Detroit Public Library, Clark-Atlanta Universit),, theNew York Public Library, the Museum of the City of New york, thePhiladelphia Museum of Art, Princeton University, Brandeis University, theUniversity of Iowa, and the University of New Mexico. That these collectionsare located at both private and public educational instrtutions reflects VanVeclrten's broad and abiding commitment to foster racial harmony fhroughthe contemplation of cultural artifacts within the framework ol research onAfrican-American culture,

AS A RECORD OF BTACK ACHIEYEMENT and black excellence,Generations in Black and lYhite constitutes a celebration of the lives of some

of the most impofiant figures in twentieth-century African-American history.As a record of a patron's abiding commitment to an evolving tradition,Generations in Black and lVhite is proof that the shifting and complex rela-tionship between patron and artist need not always be tainted by condescen-sion and calculated displays of power. Finally, as a record of Van Vechten'sgrowing mastery of photography, Generations in Black and, Wbite constitutesa powerful legacy that draws its enlarging significance from the engagedimagination of the viewer.

The organizers of Generations in Black and White wish to thank the Coca

Cola Foundation, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library ofyaleUniversity for their generous support of this exhibition.

Rudolpb P. ByrdDirector of African-American Studies

Emory Uniuersity

Curatur of the Exhihition

Generations inBlack and Wleite: PbotograplesbyCq.rl Van Vecleten

from tbeJames WeldonJolcnsonMemoria.l Collection a.t Ya.le Uniuersity

Jalnlaary 24 -If.arclal3,1994

This exhibition is offered in conjunction with the publication of

Generotions in Black and Wite; Pbotographs by Carl Van Vechten

.f roru the JantesWeldcn Johnsctn l,[emorial Collection, edited b,v

Rudolph P. tsvrd and publishecl by The Llnnersity of Georgia Press,

The Georgia Nluseum olArt acknowledges the Coca Cola Foundation

and the Beinecke Rare Book and Xlanuscript Library of Yale

Llniversity for their generolls support of this exhibithn.

Partiai support for the exhibitions ancl programs at the Georgia

Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts

through the appLopriations ol the Georgia General Assemblt, and

the National Endowment for the Arts.

EXHIBITION TR{VEL SCHEDULE

January 24 - Marcb 13, 1994

Georgia Xluseum of Art

Inirclsirr olCrnrgu

Athens. Georgia

August 1 - September 15, 1994

Aubr.rrn Al enue Research Lrbrarv

Atlanta, Georgia

October 23 - December 3, 1994

Fine Arts Nluseum of the South

Mobile, Alabama

January 16 - Marcb 12, 1995El Paso Museum of Art

El Paso. Texas

Couer, top, cletail: Carl Van Vechten, Alaitt Locke, 1941, fl x 10 inches Phot()graph

The James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection. Beinecke Rare R<xrk and

Manuscript Library, Yale University

CoDer, bottom, cletail: Carl Van Vechten, Langstott Hugbes' 1912'7 1i2 x 10 inches

Photograph. The James !(eldon Johhson Memorial Collection, Reinecke Rare

Book and Manuscdpt Library, Yale University

Inskle, Carl Van Vechten, Ethel \Yaters, 1938, 8 x 10 inches Photograph'

The James 'Weldon

Johnson Memorial Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and

Manuscript Library, Yale University

Non-Profit OrganizationU. S. Postage

PATI)Athens, GA

Permir No. 165