VanDerZee: Photographer, 1886-1983 - Deborah Willis-Braithwaite - Hardcover

James VanDerZee was one of the great American photographers of the 20th century and the leading African-American photographer of his day. His career spanned a remarkable 80 years, from his turn-of-the-century photographs of family and friends in his hometown of Lenox, Massachusetts, to his beautiful late portraits, made when he was in his 90s, of Bill Cosby, Eubie Blake, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.VanDerZee is best remembered as the eyes of the Harlem Renaissance. Reproduced here are many of the thousands of photographs he took in New York's Harlem between the wars, where he ran the community's leading commercial photographic studio: portraits of celebrities and community leaders, children and families, weddings and parties; documentary photographs; and photographs of nudes or delightfully whimsical subjects made for calendars and posters.The first survey of his work in over 20 years, VanDerZee includes many of his best-known images and some new discoveries never before reproduced. Revealing essays discuss VanDerZee's life and work.Willis-Thomas, Deborah is the author of 'VanDerZee: Photographer, 1886-1983 - Deborah Willis-Braithwaite - Hardcover' with ISBN 9780810939233 and ISBN 0810939231.