The Black American studio photographers who transformed history

Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers celebrates figures like Frederick Douglass, who seized photography’s radical, emancipatory potential.

The arrival of the daguerreotype in 1839 signalled a revolution. Bringing art and commerce together under one roof, the photo studio democratised portraiture. Both affordable and accessible, photography reclaimed representation from the exclusive purview of the ruling class.

In the United States, Black photographers paved their own path before and after Emancipation, creating a wealth of social and cultural histories woven together in Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers (Yale University Press). The book features more than 100 photographs which trace the evolution of the medium in the work of artists including James Van Der Zee, Roy DeCarava, Gordon Parks, and Kwame Brathwaite.

Hooks Brothers Studio (Robert and Henry Hooks) Untitled [Students looking at photographs], ca. 1950. Collection of Andrea and Rodney Herenton

The first century of photography in the United States was able to documented the transition from slavery to segregation. In the hands of the ruling class, photography was used as a tool to oppress and uphold the status quo. But some, like Frederick Douglass, took matters into their own hands – and Douglass become the most photographed person of the 19th century.

“Frederick Douglass was very sophisticated in his use of photography as a political weapon to challenge the crude stereotypes that degraded Black people,” says John Edwin Mason, Associate Professor of History at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

For Called to the Camera, Mason contributed an essay on Henry Martin, a Black man born in 1825 who spent the first four decades of his life in slavery. During that time, Martin was leased to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and was formally employed following emancipation. He rose to head janitor and bell ringer at the whites-only institution at the turn of the 20th century.

Although he never learned to read or write, Martin, like Douglass, understood the power of portraiture and the ways in which it could be used to provide powerful counter-narratives to the prevalence of racist propaganda popularised through blackface, then the most popular form of entertainment nationwide.

“[Martin’s] work at the University undoubtedly exposed him to the walls of the rotunda, decorated with powerful white men starting with Thomas Jefferson, founder of the University,” says Mason. “Martin knew what a portrait of dignity and power looked like and decided to get one for himself.”

Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, (American, born 1993) Oftentimes, justice for Black people takes form of forgiveness, allowing them space to reclaim their bodies from wrongs made against them, 2018 © Elliott Jerome Brown Jr

Martin understood the power of a photograph lay in its function as an artefact which could be passed from one generation to the next. One day in 1897, Martin made affluent alumnus David Culbreth an offer he couldn’t refuse: a portrait, which he sent the following autumn. Culbreth not only kept the photograph, he wrote fondly of the encounter in his memoirs.

“It’s a remarkable studio portrait that shows Henry Martin completely divorced from the way that he was usually photographed as a servant — and he did this at least twice,” Mason reveals.

“The Special Collections just received a new set of personal papers from another alumnus and it has a different formal portrait of Henry Martin, styled to look like a president or Supreme Court justice. And it all starts with him understanding the power of visual representation.”

Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers is out now, published by Yale University Press.

Follow Miss Rosen on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Twitter and Instagram.

You might like

Vibrant book covers against bleak, rocky hills and buildings; 'Babylon' and 'Albion' text in bold lettering.
Culture

Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”

Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Angela Hui

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radicals of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy of the German capital’s bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Surfers against sewage protest box floating in water with people swimming around it.
© Alex Brown / Surfers Against Sewage
Sport

The rebellious roots of Cornwall’s surfing scene

100 years of waveriding — Despite past attempts to ban the sport from beaches, surfers have remained as integral, conservationist presences in England’s southwestern tip. A new exhibition in Falmouth traces its long history in the area.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Energetic music performance on stage with colourful lighting, smoke and audience.
Culture

Southbank Centre reveals new series dedicated to East and Southeast Asian arts

ESEA Encounters — Taking place between 17-20 July, there will be a live concert from YMO’s Haruomi Hosono, as well as discussions around Asian literature, stage productions, and a pop-up Japanese Yokimono summer market.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.