Rare Early Photographs of African American Life

The website is about a collection of early photographs of African American life, recently acquired by the National Gallery of Art. The collection, donated by Ross Kelbaugh, includes images from before and after the Civil War, showcasing Black entrepreneurship, self-expression, and the fight for abolition. The article highlights the work of early Black photographers like James Presley Ball, Glenalvin Goodridge, and Augustus Washington, and discusses how photography was used to document slavery and advocate for its end. It also explores how African Americans used photography to celebrate their achievements and express their identity after emancipation.