In the Classroom: Photography and African American Identity

I’m collaborating with the William L. Clements Library on The Arabella Chapman Project. Chapman was a young African American woman who, in the 1880s and 1890s, assembled two photographic albums that are now archived at the Clements. The images are stunning; arresting in fact. In Arabella‘s albums we find vernacular curatorship on display, far from fairs, conventions, and published sources. Our work has been to understand the story Arabella tells about race, politics, family, and community. Thanks to Clayton Lewis at the Clements who blogged about the project here. We go live March 10th, so stay tuned!