Collection Guide
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African American Photograph Collection
SPC.2021.003
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: African American Photograph Collection
Creator:
Varner, Josephine
Creator:
Patterson, Evelyn G.
Creator:
Bowie, Albert L.
Creator:
Washington, Mary Lou
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2021.003
Physical Description:
6 boxes
(one document box, four photograph album boxes, one oversized box, one oversized panoramic photograph)
Physical Description:
5.33 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): circa 1880s-2010s
Date (bulk): 1940-1980
Abstract: This collection contains photograph albums, as well as single and loose photographs featuring images of African Americans.
Images depict families; children; soldiers; and infants in a variety of settings and participating in many activities such
as parties and events; holidays such as Christmas and Easter; inside and in front of homes; in front of cars; birthdays; churches;
parks; vacations; and others. Also included in this collection are school, graduation, and military portraits; and some news
clippings, brochures, flyers, postcards, and other ephemera in a few of the photograph albums.
Language of Material:
English
.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
The African American Photograph Collection (circa 1880s-2010s) contains 6 boxes and 4.42 linear feet consisting of photograph
albums and some loose photographs featuring images of African Americans. Photographs in this collection include images of:
families; children; infants; soldiers; school, graduation, and military portraits; people inside and in front of homes; people
posing in front of cars; candid photographs of people participating in a variety of activities such as reading, talking on
the phone, gathering around a table for a meal, and sitting on couches. There are also images of people in parks, gardens,
and fields; images of celebrations and events such as birthdays, weddings, attending church; and photographs taken around
holidays such as Christmas and Easter. This collection contains ten series. Series 1 contains photograph albums compiled by
Albert L. Bowie; Series 2 contains a photograph album compiled by Evelyn G. Patterson as well as a few loose items related
to her education such as report cards, a certificate, and diploma; Series 3 contains a photograph album regarding the Richardson,
Henry, and Barnett families and contains mostly portrait style photographs as well as a few loose items such as funeral and
graduation programs; Series 4 contains a photograph album compiled by Josephine Varner, as well as a folder of loose photographs,
documents, and postcards; Series 5 contains one photograph album belonging to Mary Lou Washington, as well as a military patch;
school letterman patches; business cards; thank you notes and cards; funeral and event programs; a student progress report
and report card; and a handwritten love letter; Series 6 contains eleven photograph albums in which the album compilers or
creators are unknown. A majority of the photograph albums in this series do not have any dates or any other descriptive information
such as names of people featured in the photographs, or the location where the photographs were taken; Series 7 contains single
and loose photographs that were not part of any album; Series 8 contains black-and-white photographs of soldiers presumably
taken in the 1940s; Lastly, Series 9 contains seven postcards featuring images of people and locations in the Los Angeles,
CA. area.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Photographs located under "Cabinet Cards, Tintypes, Cartes des Visites, Postcards, and Portraits" are courtesy of the Mervyn
M. Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI)
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Scrapbooks
Photographs
African American families
African American soldiers
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Friendship
Holidays
Parties
Portraits
African American children -- Photographs
African American families -- Photographs
Photography -- United States -- History
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Postcards
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Daughters of Improved, Benevolent, Protective Order of Elks of the World