Harlem Portrait

This is a portrait of a crowded street in Harlem. Everyone is on their way to work, home, or wherever they will be for the day. Almost every person in the photo is black, with the exception of three of four whites scattered around. In the center of the picture is another photographer taking a picture of the crowd from a different spot.

In this picture, I see racial identification, a desire to reconstruct the meaning of "negro", and negro heritage and history. Racial identification comes from the aspect that just about everybody in the picture is black. The photographer wanted to show that Harlem was a black city. The way many are dressed in the photograph shows a desire to reconstruct the meaning of "negro". The men are seen in suits, nice hats, and ties. the women in large hats, and fancy dresses. There is an overall look of clean, distinguished, and proper about the black citizens of Harlem. In addition, the photographer wanted this era of negro heritage and history to be remembered in a good light, which is why he chose this particular shot to capture.

I chose this photo as a real-life example of what a typical moment in Harlem would have looked like. Painters can depict what they see, express it through drawing, but a photo shows what really happened. This one shows not just what was happening that second, but what Harlem in the 1920's looked like every day, all day.

I like this photo in particular because of how real it is. You can see that nobody posed, tried to look happier, busier, or more professional. Everyone is being themselves, which is a personal preference of mine, and makes for a more accurate picture of Harlem, which was what I was searching for in the first place.