Black Women Celebrating Home Ownership Photo Archive, 1952

Black Women Celebrating Home Ownership

Photograph

[African American] Small Photo archive of 6 sepia-toned Kodak prints of African American women posing beside the foundation of a small building. 1952. Measure 5" x 3.5" inches. Photos show 4 subjects alone or, in one image, 2 in a pair, standing in an open field with trees lining the horizon. At their feet a small rectangle of cinderblocks surround a poured concrete foundation. In one image a woman sits on the low wall made by the blocks. In another two of the women turn toward the camera, one resting a foot on the low wall, hands on her hips, smiling proudly. That they took photos in this early stage of construction suggests the foundation might be for a small home belonging to one or all of the subjects. The 1950s saw homeownership increase rapidly in the United States, but due to governmental redlining practices, black home loans were, in some places, impossible to get without borrowing from predatory lenders. As the primary mode of generational wealth is passed through property, the economic impact of housing discrimination continues to be born out long after redlining ended. The pride on the subject's faces suggests the obstacles overcome to put a stake in their own land not just for themselves but for generations to come. The University of Virginia's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library describes "Black joy" as "a phrase used by historians to highlight the positive aspects of Black history separate from its suffering. Representations of African Americans living lives at once ordinary and inspired, both deeply personal and universal, is an integral piece of any American history archive." Versos of photos marked with "This is a Kodacolor Print made my Eastman Kodak company T.M. Regis U.S.Pat.Off, Week of August 11, 1952." An intimate archive commemorating Black success despite struggle.

Item #18071

Price: $280.00