Creative Americans: Portraits by Carl Van Vechten, 1932-1964

Image
Photo of Ella Fitzgerald, Carl Van Vechten, 1940
Annotation

This collection presents 1,395 photographs by the American photographer, music and dance critic, and novelist Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964). The site consists primarily of studio portraits of celebrities, most of whom were involved in the arts, including actors, such as Marlon Brando and Paul Robeson; artists, such as Marc Chagall and Frida Kahlo; novelists, such as Theodore Dreiser and Willa Cather; singers, such as Ethel Waters and Billie Holiday; publishers, such as Alfred A. Knopf and Bennett Cerf; cultural critics, such as H. L. Mencken and Gilbert Seldes; and figures from the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Zora Neale Hurston.

More than 80 photographs capture Massachusetts and Maine landscapes and seascapes; others include eastern locations and New Mexico. Many photographs of actors present them in character roles. Searchable by keyword and arranged into subject and occupational indexes, this collection also includes a nine-title bibliography and background essay of 800 words on Van Vechten's life and work. A valuable collection for the documentation of the mid-20th-century art scene.

Morris-Jumel Mansion [NY]

Description

The 1765 Palladian-style Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest residence in Manhattan. It served as the headquarters of George Washington between September and October 1776. Given its location on high ground, the residence was attractive to military commanders; and it was used by a number of Englishmen and Hessians for that reason. After the Revolutionary War, the home became an inn; and the interior was decorated in the French Imperial style in the early 19th-century. John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Alexander Hamilton all dined at the site in 1790.

The mansion offers period rooms, self-guided tours, one-hour guided group tours of the home, one hour guided group tours of the neighborhood, art workshops, lectures, an annual classical music series, and 90-minute educational programs which meet state educational standards. Reservations are required for group tours, and 10 or more visitors must be present. The website offers a teacher's guide.

The Harlem Renaissance

Description

From 1919 to 1929, Langston Hughes noted, "Harlem was in vogue." Black painters and sculptors joined writers and musicians in an artistic outpouring that established Harlem as the international capital of African American culture. Participants will study the evolution of the Harlem Renaissance through the music of Duke Ellington and Ethel Waters, the art of painter Archibald Motley and sculptor Augusta Savage, and the literary works of Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jean Toomer, among others.

Contact email
Sponsoring Organization
Newberry Library
Phone number
312-255-3700
Start Date
Cost
$180
Duration
Seven weeks
End Date

Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: Florida in the 20th Century

Description

This workshop will discuss issues important in Florida 20th-century history, which may include "The Harlem Renaissance: Critical Issues in Black Literature and Culture," "Spanish Florida," "Democracy in Florida," "World War II: Florida Home Front," African-American communities and experience in Florida, or an overview of the archaeological record and cultural history of Florida. Contact the given number for more information.

Contact name
Smith, Elizabeth
Sponsoring Organization
Florida Center for Teachers
Phone number
1 941-301-1499
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Contact Title
Social Studies Supervisor
Duration
One day

Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: Florida in the 20th Century

Description

This workshop will discuss issues important in Florida 20th-century history, which may include "The Harlem Renaissance: Critical Issues in Black Literature and Culture," "Spanish Florida," "Democracy in Florida," "World War II: Florida Home Front," African-American communities and experience in Florida, or an overview of the archaeological record and cultural history of Florida. Contact the given number for more information.

Contact name
Gory, Shellie
Sponsoring Organization
Florida Center for Teachers
Phone number
1 754-321-1873
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Contact Title
Curriculum Specialist
Duration
One day

James Weldon Johnson: The Renaissance Man

Description

"Born in Jacksonville, FL, James Weldon Johnson is best known for his composition "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," widely known as the Negro National Anthem. In the presentation of Johnson by Chautauqua scholar Leroy Mitchell, we learn about this creative genius and prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance."

Contact name
Staples, Margaret
Sponsoring Organization
Paragon Ladies of the Dove, Inc.
Phone number
1 305-253-2310
Target Audience
General Public
Start Date
Duration
One hour

James Weldon Johnson: The Renaissance Man

Description

"Born in Jacksonville, FL, James Weldon Johnson is best known for his composition "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," widely known as the Negro National Anthem. In the presentation of Johnson by Chautauqua scholar Leroy Mitchell, we learn about this creative genius and prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance."

Contact name
Staples, Margaret
Sponsoring Organization
Paragon Ladies of the Dove, Inc.
Phone number
1 305-253-2310
Target Audience
General Public
Start Date
Duration
One hour

Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and Her Eatonville Roots

Description

This workshop "will bring together a distinguished team of humanities scholars who will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of Hurston’s life and work. They include a literary scholar who has written extensively on Hurston; a folklorist who wrote the application that placed Eatonville on the Historic Register; a Hurston biographer; the director of the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress, where most of Hurston’s folklife collection resides; and a colleague of Hurston’s in the WPA. Participants will examine Hurston’s accomplishments within the context of the historical and cultural development of the Eatonville community. They will grapple with compelling questions about how this unique black enclave fueled Hurston’s appreciation of folk culture, inspired her literary works, created her racial identity, and formed her sometimes controversial views on race." It will include readings, lectures, discussions, visits to historic sites, and curriculum development projects. Specific topics will include "Hurston’s Eatonville Roots," "Inspiration for Hurston’s Racial and Gender Identity, Folkloric Research, and Literary Work," "The Harlem Renaissance and the WPA," "Humor and Religion," and "Fort Pierce: From Halcyon Days to Obscurity."

Contact name
Schoenacher, Ann Simas
Contact email
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
National Endowment for the Humanities
Phone number
1 727-873-2010
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Contact Title
Project Director
Duration
One week
End Date
Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and Her Eatonville Roots Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/13/2008 - 15:40
Description

This workshop "will bring together a distinguished team of humanities scholars who will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of Hurston’s life and work. They include a literary scholar who has written extensively on Hurston; a folklorist who wrote the application that placed Eatonville on the Historic Register; a Hurston biographer; the director of the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress, where most of Hurston’s folklife collection resides; and a colleague of Hurston’s in the WPA. Participants will examine Hurston’s accomplishments within the context of the historical and cultural development of the Eatonville community. They will grapple with compelling questions about how this unique black enclave fueled Hurston’s appreciation of folk culture, inspired her literary works, created her racial identity, and formed her sometimes controversial views on race." It will include readings, lectures, discussions, visits to historic sites, and curriculum development projects. Specific topics will include "Hurston’s Eatonville Roots," "Inspiration for Hurston’s Racial and Gender Identity, Folkloric Research, and Literary Work," "The Harlem Renaissance and the WPA," "Humor and Religion," and "Fort Pierce: From Halcyon Days to Obscurity."

Contact name
Schoenacher, Ann Simas
Contact email
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
National Endowment for the Humanities
Phone number
1 727-873-2010
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Contact Title
Project Director
Duration
One week
End Date
Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and Her Eatonville Roots Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/13/2008 - 15:40
Description

This workshop "will bring together a distinguished team of humanities scholars who will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of Hurston’s life and work. They include a literary scholar who has written extensively on Hurston; a folklorist who wrote the application that placed Eatonville on the Historic Register; a Hurston biographer; the director of the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress, where most of Hurston’s folklife collection resides; and a colleague of Hurston’s in the WPA. Participants will examine Hurston’s accomplishments within the context of the historical and cultural development of the Eatonville community. They will grapple with compelling questions about how this unique black enclave fueled Hurston’s appreciation of folk culture, inspired her literary works, created her racial identity, and formed her sometimes controversial views on race." It will include readings, lectures, discussions, visits to historic sites, and curriculum development projects. Specific topics will include "Hurston’s Eatonville Roots," "Inspiration for Hurston’s Racial and Gender Identity, Folkloric Research, and Literary Work," "The Harlem Renaissance and the WPA," "Humor and Religion," and "Fort Pierce: From Halcyon Days to Obscurity."

Contact name
Schoenacher, Ann Simas
Contact email
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
National Endowment for the Humanities
Phone number
1 727-873-2010
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Contact Title
Project Director
Duration
One week
End Date