Rainy Day Wonderings

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Paris Exposition of 1900

For the Paris Exposition Universelle, W.E.B. Du Bois assembled a unique set of photographic albums for display. It was important that this exhibit, "of American Negroes [be] planned and executed by Negroes, and collected and installed under the direction of. . . [Negroes]," said Du Bois. These four unique volumes are titled Types of American Negroes (volumes 1-3) and Negro Life in Georgia (volume 4). They show various aspects of black life through the images of people, their homes, professional organizations, physical surroundings, schools and churches, as well as institutions of higher learning.

TITLE: Homes and businesses owned by African Americans, Chattanooga, Tenn., ca. 1899
SUMMARY: G. W. Franklin undertakers
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1899?
NOTES: Images collected by W.E.B. Du Bois and Thomas J. Calloway for the "American Negro Exhibit" at the Paris Exposition of 1900 (Exposition universelle internationale de 1900)

Title: Only Negro store of its kind in the U.S., at 2933 State St., Chicago, Ill

Summary: Three men at doorway of Charles F. Gardner, electrician and locksmith

MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.

CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899?]

TITLE: African American baseball players from Morris Brown College, with boy and another man standing at door, Atlanta, Georgia
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
NOTES:
In album (disbound): Negro life in Georgia, U.S.A., compiled and prepared by W.E.B. Du Bois, v. 4, no. 337.

TITLE: Sgt. Brent Woods, full-length portrait, standing, facing slightly right
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [ca. 1900]
NOTES:
Detail of Medal of Honor men

TITLE: Young African American woman, half-length portrait, facing right, with left hand under chin
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899 or 1900]

TITLE: Summit Avenue Ensemble, Atlanta, Georgia
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899 or 1900]
CREATOR:
Askew, Thomas, 1850?-1914, photographer
SUMMARY: Photograph shows a group of six young men posed with their instruments in the photographer's home studio on Summit Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. From left: the photographer's twin sons Clarence and Norman Askew, son Arthur Askew, neighbor Jake Sansome, and sons Robert and Walter Askew.
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899 or 1900]
NOTES:
Untitled photo in album (disbound): Negro life in Georgia, U.S.A., compiled and prepared by W.E.B. Du Bois, v. 4, no. 356.
Title and photographer attribution based on research by D. Willis in Small nation of people.

TITLE: Choir and organ of Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899?]
NOTES:
Title and other information transcribed from caption card.
Reportedly displayed as part of the American Negro exhibit at the Paris Exposition of 1900 (excellent link)

Title: Company D, 8th Illinois Volunteer Regiment
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1899?]

TITLE: African American men, women and children outside of church
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1899 or 1900
RELATED NAMES:
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963, collector.
NOTES:
In album (disbound): Negro life in Georgia, U.S.A., compiled and prepared by W.E.B. Du Bois, v. 3, no. 274.

Listed below is a complete list of the awards received by the different contributors to the Exhibit of American Negroes at the Exposition Universelle, Paris, France, 1900.

GRAND PRIX American Negro Exhibit (on the collection as a whole): Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Virginia.

GOLD MEDALS Tuskegee Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Virginia. Howard University, Washington, D.C. Thomas J. Calloway, Special Agent Negro Exhibit (as compiler). William Edgar Burghardt Du Bois, Collaborator, as Compiler of the Georgia Negro

ExhibitSILVER MEDALS Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee. Agricultural and Mechanical College, Greensboro, North Carolina. Berea College, Berea, Kentucky. Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia. Booker T. Washington, Monograph on Education of Negro.

BRONZE MEDALS Roger Williams University, Nashville, Tennessee. Central Tennessee College, Nashville, Tennessee. Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia. Pine Bluff Normal and Industrial School, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

HONORABLE MENTION Haines Normal and Industrial Institute, Augusta, Georgia. Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina

Want to know more? Please visit

The Library of Congress

The Black Database

Paris Exposition of 1900-Video

Books by W.E.B. Du Bois

The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638–1870 PhD dissertation, 1896, (Harvard Historical Studies, Longmans, Green, and Co.: New York) Full Text
Black Reconstruction: An Essay toward a History of the Part which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880
Dusk of Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept
The Encyclopedia of the Negro
An ABC of Color: Selections from Over a Half Century of the Writings of W.E.B. Du Bois (1963)

On a personal note I would like to thank each of you that have extended your hands in friendship through comments and emails. I appreciate each and everyone of you.

Lyndon, you have no idea how you have lifted my spirits this week, thank you.

Have a great day everyone!

Labels: photography

N Posted by Rain at 10/24/2006 08:49:00 AM

2 Comments

Anonymous posted at 6:10 PM
Looks like a pretty interesting exhibition. Wonder why the Parisians decided to do this.

Anonymous posted at 8:02 PM
thanks! I love the photos!!!!