James Van Der Zee

James VanDerZee (1886-1983) was Harlem's leading photographer from 1916 onwards when he opened his studio Guarantee Photos.

VanDerZee's photographic range was wide - he made portraits and photographed weddings and public events - and it was this hybrid style which attracted the attention of photographic audiences in the 1990s.

Many of his works were featured in the important 1969 exhibition of African-American art "Harlem on my Mind" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.