[Woman waving]

Late 19th and early 20th century photographs of Black individuals, families, school and church groups, and more are vital elements of American visual culture. As records of relationships–familial, fraternal, business, or otherwise–they make visible the depth and character of communities that were by and large denied such representation prior to the Civil War. In these intimately scaled and highly personal images–snapshots, album pages, and studio portraits–the specificity and individuality of those pictured serve as counterpoint to historial elisions, erasures, and oversights.