Unidentified photographer, Portrait
of a woman, ca. 1940
© International Center of Photography

The Daniel Cowin Collection of African American Vernacular Photography

The Daniel Cowin Collection of African American Vernacular Photography was given to ICP by Daniel Cowin in 1990. The collection of about 1,600 photographs, including several albums and dating from 1860 to 1960, offers a glimpse into the rarely seen everyday lives of African Americans in a variety of genres and poses: formal studio portraits, casual snapshots, images of children, images of uniformed soldiers, wedding portraits, and "Southern-views" made for tourist consumption. While some of the sitters are celebrities of the day, the majority are unnamed Americans simply posing for their portraits.

View a selection from the collection here.

ICP Exhibition
African American Vernacular Photography: Selections from The Daniel Cowing Collection (December 9, 2005 - February 26, 2006)

Order the exhibition catalogue online from the ICP Store:
African American Vernacular Photography