Uncommon Images: James Van Der Zee

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A documentary film with the title Uncommon Images: James Van Der Zee. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with an optical sound track. Directed and produced by Evelyn Barron for New York’s WNBC-TV, this is a twenty-minute documentary primarily narrated by Van Der Zee himself. Ninety years old at the time of production, he recalls his early interest in photography and music, and the development of his photographic practices overtime. Van Der Zee emphasizes the impact of his second wife, Gaynella Greenlee, as an instrumental influence in the success of his Harlem-based studio throughout the twenties and thirties, the peak of the Harlem Renaissance. The film utilizes Van Der Zee’s extensive photography portfolio to compliment the narration.

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