Scope and arrangement
The Austin Hansen photograph collection primarily documents the people, places, and events in Harlem during the period from approximately the 1930s to the late 1980s.
The Personalities series includes many well-known political, civil rights, labor, entertainment, literary, and sports figures. Among the more notable are Mary McLeod Bethune, Coretta Scott King, Canada Lee, Joe Louis, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Jackie Robinson, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Organizations series depicts the numerous benevolent, civic, social, fraternal and professional organizations in Harlem. This includes individual and group portraits of officers and membership; meetings and assemblies; dinners; ceremonies; cotillions; parties; community service events; and miscellaneous events. Among the organizations represented are the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, the Virgin Islands Professional League, Club "75" Inc., the Harlem Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association, and a large representation of fraternal groups. The latter includes the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine (Prince Hall Affiliated), the Prince Hall Grand Lodge (N.Y.), the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, and the Scottish Rite Masonic order.
The Churches series documents clergy, parishioners, confirmation classes, clubs and associations, architectural views, rites and ceremonies, special events, and other activities of the mostly Protestant denominations in the Harlem area. Included in this series are Abyssinian Baptist Church, Mother A.M.E. Zion, St. Luke's A.M.E., St. Martin's Episcopal, St. Philip's Episcopal, Salem United Methodist, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
The Wedding Photography series records the participants and activities in a variety of weddings that Hansen photographed from the 1940s to the 1980s. The collection is a mixture of both black and white and color photographs which include portraits of the bride and groom, bridal parties, prenuptial bridal preparations, views of ceremonies, wedding guests, and receptions. Most notable among this group is the wedding of former New York City mayor David N. Dinkins to Joyce Burrows.
The material in the Navy Photography series, produced when Hansen served on Manus Island in the South Pacific during the Second World War (1944-45), includes individual and group portraits of sailors, officers, South Seas inhabitants, and self-portraits. Also included are views of daily military life and various construction projects.
Photographs in the Studio Portraits series primarily depict residents of the Harlem community and include images of babies, children, couples, and families. Images consist of individual and group portraits, including head shots, medium close-ups and full-length shots. Some of the prints have been hand-colored, and several were done on the occasion of graduations, confirmations or first communions, formal occasions, or for modeling portfolios.
The General Subjects series, which forms the remainder of the collection, represents the variety of assignments and projects that Hansen carried out for specific clients, as well as some of the work that he produced for New York's major African American newspapers. These images include views of accidents and legal photos; architectural views and street scenes; miscellaneous unidentified organization and church functions; interior views of bars and nightclubs; various gospel singers and other musical groups in performance; police and fire department activities, including a series of portraits of the officers of the New York Police Department 32nd Precinct; funerals; parties; local banks and businesses; and events, such as the Joe Louis Day Parade (1946) and the Poor People's Campaign March on Washington, D.C. (1968).
The Austin Hansen photograph collection is arranged in seven series:
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The Personalities series documents many well-known business, political, civil rights, labor, entertainment, religious, literary, and sports figures. Among the individuals included are Mary McLeod Bethune, bandleader Willie Bryant, Coretta Scott King, Canada Lee, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Jackie Robinson, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
The series consists of formal portraits and candid shots of individuals and groups, and documents certain events or activities in which particular individuals are involved. Some images were done as publicity stills; other images are press photographs which were published in The People's Voice and other African American newspapers.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. is depicted as both politician and community activist, attending several public events such as campaign rallies, banquets, etc. Images of Powell at Abyssinian Baptist Church are filed in the Church series of this collection. Other personalities include: radio host Alma John interviewing or posing with individuals and groups who appeared on her radio program at WWRL; actor Canada Lee attending various parties, including one given for him by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; Josephine Baker performing at her 1973 Carnegie Hall concert; singer Sarah Vaughan appearing on WMCA radio with Ralph Cooper; cosmetics entrepreneur Rose Morgan posing with heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis to promote My Man cologne (ca. late 1950s); boxer Sugar Ray Robinson working out at a local gym; and labor leader A. Philip Randolph attending various Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters functions.
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The Organizations series depicts the numerous civic, social, benevolent, fraternal, professional, and other organizations that Hansen recorded, primarily in Harlem, over a fifty-year period. Among the organizations represented are the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defence Fund, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Portrers, the Virgin Islands Professional League, and the Harlem Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association. Also represented are a number of fraternal groups including the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine, Inc. (Prince Hall Affiliated), the Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge (N.Y) and its affiliated local lodges, the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and the Scottish Rite Masonic order. A number of local chapters of fraternities and sororities are also represented including Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Alpha Psi, among others.
Depicted are individual and group portraits of officers and membership; dedications and installations; guests attending organizational gatherings; interior and exterior views of lodges and meeting halls; views of meetings, conventions, and other assemblies; assorted luncheons, dinners, and award presentations; cotillions and dances; beauty contests; parties; parades and processions; and fund raising and community service events. Some of this work appeared in African American newspapers and organizational publications.
Events depicted include the First Annual Scholarship and Awards Cotillion held by the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs at the Americana Hotel in February 1971; views of guests and "Mock O' Jumbie" performer John Magnus Farrell at an annual Christmas party given by the American Virgin Islands Civic Association at the Rockland Palace Ballroom, ca. 1950s; the Freedom Fund Dinner held by the N.A.A.C.P. at the Hotel Roosevelt in November, 1957; and views of the annual Beaux-Arts Ball sponsored by the Urban League Guild, as well as pre-Ball planning activities.
The Harlem Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association is represented by several hundred images taken from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. Included are views of various Black Achievers Award banquets from the early 1980s; depictions of different athletic teams and sporting events; numerous award presentations; the dedication of the Jackie Robinson Building; and "A Royal Salute" to Johnny Mathis held at the Savoy Ballroom in June 1958.
The fraternal organizations photographs include individual and group portraits of group members attired in ceremonial dress; group portraits of the individual men's lodges and women's chapters that formed parts of larger organizations, such as the Elks and Freemasons; and portraits of group officers and exalted rulers. Some of the events relating to the various fraternal organizations include the cornerstone laying for Williams Institutional C.M.E. Church, on October 25, 1953, by members of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; processions of the 16th Patriarchy Regiment of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America; and various group portraits and events from the 43rd Annual Grand Lodge Convention of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, held in Philadelphia, August 23-29, 1942.
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The Churches series documents the architecture, clergy, congregations, services, rites and ceremonies, confirmation classes, clubs and associations, special events, and other activities of predominantly Protestant denominations. Included are Abyssinian Baptist Church, Mother A.M.E. Zion, St. Luke's A.M.E., St. Martin's Episcopal, St. Philip's Episcopal, Salem United Methodist, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Other denominations depicted include Seventh-Day Adventist, Lutheran, Church of God in Christ, Presbyterian, and several storefront Christian churches. A few Catholic parishes, such as St. Charles Borromeo, are included. Also documented are a small number of churches in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Depicted are individual and group portraits of clergy, elders, church boards, and members of the congregation. Also portrayed are confirmation and first communion classes; officers and members of church clubs; prayer groups; choirs; and ushers. Many of these group portraits were produced for church journals.
Other images include views of parishioners taking part in religious services, social gatherings such as dinners and cotillions, and important events such as groundbreaking ceremonies. Architectural views include exterior views of structures, such as front facades, as well as some interior views emphasizing altars and architectural features.
Among the events depicted are the series of concerts given at Abyssinian Baptist Church by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in the early 1980s, featuring Andre Watts, Zubin Mehta, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, and Kathleen Battle; views of the 30th Anniversary service (1958) celebrating the founding of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; the special service honoring Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie at Abyssinian Baptist Church in 1954; and an event at Salem United Methodist Church honoring singer Marian Anderson. During Hansen's affiliation with St. Philip's Episcopal Church, he produced several images depicting events and activities sponsored by the church including a dinner for Thurgood Marshall, the construction and dedication of the St. Philip's Parish House (ca. 1970), and almost thirty years (late 1950s to mid-1980s) of confirmation class portraits.
Noteworthy in the Church series is the amount of work Hansen did for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The images of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine include many interior and exterior views of the Cathedral; views of the Ogalvie and Synod Houses; the Outdoor Pulpit; the Cathedral School; views of the Nave and Apse chapels; the bay, clerestory, and Rose windows; sculpture, tapestries, and religious artifacts; and details of the Nave, Choir, Sanctuary, and Presbytery. The collection also depicts the activities of the Cathedral School and Choir; various ordinations and church installations; individual and group portraits of clergy; activities of Cathedral organizations and youth groups; and several special events including the 1954 visit by the Queen Mother, Elizabeth, of England, Duke Ellington's 1968 Sacred Music Concert, and visits by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey. Many of these images were created with the assistance of Hansen's younger brother, Aubrey. Much of the work created for the Cathedral was published in the seventeenth edition of "A Guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City of New York," which was published by the Cathedral Church in 1965.
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The Wedding Photography series documents the participants and activities surrounding an assortment of weddings that Hansen photographed from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. This series consists of Harlem residents, as well as individuals from outside the community. Notable among the Harlem weddings photographed is that of former New York City mayor David N. Dinkins and Joyce Burrows in 1953.
The series is a mixture of both black and white and color photographs, and includes portraits of the bride and groom; individual portraits of brides; bridal parties; prenuptial bridal preparations; views of ceremonies; wedding guests; and receptions.
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The Navy Photography series includes several individual portraits and group portraits of sailors and officers who served with Hansen on Manus Island, as well as views of the base, the camp facilities, construction projects, and the day-to-day life of military personnel. Many of these images were done as snapshots. Also depicted are views of the native islanders, flooding on the base possibly caused by a storm, and portraits of Hansen as sailor and photographer.
Included here are views of African American sailors, both performing their daily duties and during their leisure time. Depicted are African American construction crews, stevedores, mess hall staff, and security police; living quarters and shower facilities; a hospital tent, showing only white patients, being entertained by a white musical troupe; and a base barber shop showing Black and white customers sitting on segregated sides of the shop.
A group of images depict a Sunday church service that is mostly attended by Black troops - the only white people, besides the Chaplain, appear to be Naval officers seated in a group by the front. Group portraits of airmen, an unidentified ship's crew, and Naval officers are depicted as exclusively white. While Black and white Naval personnel are sometimes depicted together, most often white officers are shown supervising Black seamen.
The images of Hansen himself, most likely taken by one of his photography assistants, show him around the base with other sailors and officers; posing with native islanders; out taking pictures with his camera; posing in combat uniform; and as a member of the 108th Battalion Band. Also shown are images of a white Naval photographer, either Hansen's commander or one of his assistants, views of Hansen's darkroom, and photographs of Hansen's Navy identification card and discharge paper. The series also contains formal portraits of soldiers and sailors, as well as signed photographs from Hansen's Navy friends; a picture of Hansen's brother Aubrey when he was attending the Tuskeegee Flight School; and images of naval bases in California and Portsmouth, Virginia, including depictions of Black troops, which may not have been taken by Hansen.
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The Studio Portraits series documents identified and unidentified individuals who lived, worked in, or visited Harlem. Among the individuals depicted include business men and women, fraternal organization members, ministers, police and firefighters, military personnel, graduates, confirmation conferees, beauty contestants, models, debutants, couples, infants and young children, and families. The series consists of individual and group portraits. Several photographs were taken as formal portrait sittings for graduations, religious ceremonies, and fashion portfolios, and possibly for business, church and organizational purposes. Some of these portraits have been hand-colored or are examples of Hansen's conservation work on older or damaged prints. Many of the group portraits record unidentified group meetings, ceremonies, and community functions. Some of these images may have appeared in annual reports or newspapers.
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The General Subjects series documents the work Hansen was asked to do for various clients, including local businesses, assorted individuals and institutions, and some unidentified organizations. Also included are legal and commercial photographs, as well as some of his freelance photojournalism work that was published in New York's African American newspapers, such as the People's Voice. Work done for specific organizations, churches, or weddings is located in the Organizations, Churches, and Weddings series. Images from the General Subjects series include: views of automobile accidents; fires; police and firefighting crews responding to emergencies; views of cotillions; assorted bars and nightclubs; beauty contests; fashion shows and models; and numerous businesses, mostly in Harlem, including banks, restaurants, beauty shops, grocery and liquor stores, and insurance companies.
Also included are examples of commercial photography, such as exhibits and displays, advertisements for products, and copy prints of artwork and documents; funerals and wakes; street scenes and architectural views of Harlem; individual buildings, monuments, parks and bridges; legal photography, for various clients and attorneys, depicting accidents, physical injuries, and unsafe housing conditions; candid and formal portraits of bands, gospel and vocal groups, and musicians; anniversaries, birthday celebrations and parties for social groups; the officers and activities of the New York City Police Department 32nd Precinct, from a period covering the mid-1940s to the early 1980s; professional schools in Harlem including beauty, music, dance, and business schools; sports teams and athletes; and various events including marches, demonstrations, parades, and rallies in and around Harlem.
Many images show portraits and group portraits of community and business leaders, office and store employees, students, and numerous graduation classes. Among the events Hansen depicted are views of the marchers and Resurrection City at the Poor People's Campaign March on Washington, D.C., in May 1968, and participants in the Joe Louis Day Parade, 1946.
Among the subjects depicted include staff portraits and activities of businesses such as Webb and Brooker Realty, Carver Federal Savings Bank, the law firm of Walker and Bailey, and United Mutual Life Insurance; classes and graduation portraits of the Washington Business Institute and the Apex School of Beauty Culture; recitals and group portraits of Carmen Sheppard's music school and Mary Bruce's dance school, the latter of which includes views of her farm, Brucewood; and views of the 369th Infantry depicting troops and officers, military reviews and ceremonies, and a military funeral at St. Philip's Episcopal Church.
Other images include the arrival of Captain Eldridge Waith at the 32nd Precinct House as the precinct's first African-American police captain; Coretta Scott King visiting the Schomburg Center on January 22, 1978; models from Brandford Models, Inc., with agency founder Edward Brandford, attending the National Model of the Year Awards, circa 1958; and views of a fire at 221 W. 126th Street and the tenants who had leapt from the burning building, August 6, 1960.