Intro to African American Photographs

Identification, Research, Care & Collecting

Spanning from photography's beginnings with the daguerreotype of the early 1840s through the gelatin silver prints of the 1950s, each major photographic format that has recorded African Americans, both free and slave, is presented to provide readers with the tools needed to accurately interpret black images.

Useful resources for investigating the people in photographs are also discussed and numerous "In Focus" case studies are included which use actual photographs as models for conducting photography research. Helpful advice is also included concerning the proper care needed for each type of photograph as well. For those interested in collecting African American photographs, valuable tips are given that will help them evaluate the collectibility and value of images.

Written by Ross J. Kelbaugh, noted photography historian and collector, many of these historic photographs are from the author's personal collection and are published here for the first time. An extensive annotated bibliography of reference books and other helpful resources for conservation materials, internet research databases, photography auctions, and public collections is also included. Detailed instructions are also provided for conducting research into the lives of African American soldiers and civilians using the resources of the National Archives.

2005, Ross J. Kelbaugh, 119 pages, paperback

Also by Ross J. Kelbaugh: Maryland's Civil War Photographs