Shadow and Substance: African American Images from the Burns Archive
Saturday, October 15, 2011 - Saturday, March 31, 2012
New York State Museum Photography Gallery
Saturday, October 15, 2011 - Saturday, March 31, 2012
New York State Museum Photography Gallery
Cultural Education Center, Madison Avenue, Albany, NY
Monday - Saturday, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
The NYS Museum is free. Donations are accepted at the door.
Monday - Saturday, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
The NYS Museum is free. Donations are accepted at the door.
A selection from the over 100 images on view:
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| White woman and enslaved girl, Washburn & Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, c. 1849, daguerreotype. |
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| Woman wearing a cloak, Washburn & Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, c. 1855, ambrotype. This somberly dressed woman was probably one of the thousands of free people of color who lived in Louisiana. |
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| Charles Harris, co A 31 US COL Troops, c. 1865. Civil War soldier wounded at The Battle of the Crater. Photograph by R.B. Bontecou, MD. |
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| Man with cane, c. 1860s, cabinet card. This man chose to have himself photographed as a stylish gentleman, from his top hat to his elegant suit and shined shoes. The dog could belong to him or the photographer. |
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| Man in fraternal regalia, c. 1900, cabinet card. Black men and women supported scores of clubs and fraternal organizations. These groups provided entertainment and camaraderie and formed a nationwide network. |
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| Major Taylor, c. 1900. Marshall “Major” Taylor born in 1878 was the dominant cyclist of his time and world champion. |
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| Four soldiers, World War I, c. 1917. Many blacks endured unequal treatment within the military. However, many soldiers who served overseas also encountered for the first time a world that was not marked by Jim Crow segregation. © The Burns Archive. |
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| Baptism in a river, Hampton Roads, Virginia, c. 1930. An evangelical minister follows the example of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan by baptizing his followers in a local river. |
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| Woman sitting on car bumper, c. 1931. This stylish woman balances on a car bumper. Countless snapshots show people sitting on, in, or near cars, an indication of how important these vehicles are to us. © The Burns Archive. |
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| Marian Anderson at the Mall, Washington D.C., April 9, 1939. When the Daughters of the Revolution refused to rent its concert hall to any nonwhite singer, Marian Anderson, with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, performed before the Lincoln Memorial. |
ALBANY, NY.- Shadow and Substance: African American Images from The Burns Archive -- opened at the New York State Museum October 15, showcasing rarely-seen photographs from one of the largest private photography collections in the world.
Open through March 31, 2012 in the Photography Gallery, the exhibition allows the viewer to perceive how African-Americans were seen by others and how they wished to be seen. These images do not tell a complete story of the past, but their eloquent shadows provide unique glimpses into the lives of African-Americans over the past 160 years.
The 113 images in Shadow and Substance include portraits, snapshots and photographs of celebration, tragedy and quiet joy, work and family, strength and perseverance. From early images of slaves and Civil War soldiers to new voters and political activists, the exhibition is filled with illustrations of achievement and shocking evidence of intolerance. Some images may not be suitable for young children.
The images were culled from the comprehensive Burns Archive of Historic Vintage Photographs that include specializations in medical and health care, death and dying, sports and recreation, in addition to images of African-Americans. The collection was amassed by Dr. Stanley B. Burns, an ophthalmologist, collector and curator in New York City who was the founding donor for several photography collections, including those of the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Burns has authored several books including “A Morning’s Work: Medical Photographs from the Burns Archive & Collection, 1843-1939”; “Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America” and “Forgotten Marriage: The Painted Tintype and Decorative Frame, 1860-1910.”
The traveling exhibition is organized by the Indiana State Museum and curated by Dr. Modupe Labode, assistant professor of history and public scholar of African-American History and Museum Studies at Indiana University.
Open through March 31, 2012 in the Photography Gallery, the exhibition allows the viewer to perceive how African-Americans were seen by others and how they wished to be seen. These images do not tell a complete story of the past, but their eloquent shadows provide unique glimpses into the lives of African-Americans over the past 160 years.
The 113 images in Shadow and Substance include portraits, snapshots and photographs of celebration, tragedy and quiet joy, work and family, strength and perseverance. From early images of slaves and Civil War soldiers to new voters and political activists, the exhibition is filled with illustrations of achievement and shocking evidence of intolerance. Some images may not be suitable for young children.
The images were culled from the comprehensive Burns Archive of Historic Vintage Photographs that include specializations in medical and health care, death and dying, sports and recreation, in addition to images of African-Americans. The collection was amassed by Dr. Stanley B. Burns, an ophthalmologist, collector and curator in New York City who was the founding donor for several photography collections, including those of the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Burns has authored several books including “A Morning’s Work: Medical Photographs from the Burns Archive & Collection, 1843-1939”; “Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America” and “Forgotten Marriage: The Painted Tintype and Decorative Frame, 1860-1910.”
The traveling exhibition is organized by the Indiana State Museum and curated by Dr. Modupe Labode, assistant professor of history and public scholar of African-American History and Museum Studies at Indiana University.
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