James Van Der Zee: A Harlem Renaissance Poet

James Van der Zee was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance; whom was born on June 29th, 1886, and died on May 15, 1983. Available evidence suggests that he was exposed to the topic of photography at a young age since he was living in Massachusetts. Corresponding with his outstanding academic performances, he began to develop his photography skills and techniques in high school; consequently, gaining a passion for it. During his early adulthood life, he worked as a waiter, elevator operator, and other jobs relating to photography. He, however, was famous for his photographs of African Americans, more specifically middle-classed, during the Harlem Renaissance, which boomed during inter-war period i.e. 1920s-1930s when after World War I ended and before the spark of the Second World War. …show more content…
Both of these allows the knowledge about African Americans in Harlem, NY to be distributed. His thousands of photographs are primarily indoor portraits, in addition to the presence of signature and date. Many of his works are now displayed at museums, including his photograph “Evening Attire” (1922) which is now preserved at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Other than that, he also photographed celebrities and other prominent historical figures as well, creating his sense of essentialism. Unfortunately, during the early 1930s, Van der Zee experienced a financial crisis of his own, as the high demand for professional photographers significantly decreased, in which the population are now adapting to their new personal cameras. On May 15, 1983, James Van der Zee passed away in Washington as a result of an unexpected heart attack at the age of 96. As aforementioned, his photographs and legacy remained in various museums around the nation; thus, proving its great