Historical Portrait
Portrait of a Young Woman with Pearls by James Van Der Zee
Archive record
Portrait of a young woman wearing pearls, photographed by James Van Der Zee in Harlem, c. 1920-1955. Public domain historical photograph from Cleveland Museum.
About this photograph
James Van Der Zee photographed this young woman wearing pearls in Harlem sometime between 1920 and 1955.
Studio portraiture held particular significance in Black communities during this period. At a time when published images of African Americans were dominated by caricature, sitting for a formal portrait was a deliberate assertion of dignity and standing. Black-owned studios served a clientele that white studios often refused or treated poorly.
The photograph is held by the Internet Archive and credited to the Cleveland Museum. The archive record does not identify the sitter by name, a reflection of catalogue practices of the era that frequently left Black sitters unnamed while naming white ones.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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