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The Harlem Book of the Dead - (Paperback)

The Harlem Book of the Dead - (Paperback) - 1 of 1
$24.00 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • Available for the first time since 1978, The Harlem Book of the Dead showcases James Van Der Zee's unflinching creative visionOriginally published in 1978, The Harlem Book of the Dead is a haunting and beautiful document of Black funerary traditions in Harlem, capturing the community's mourning rituals through the lens of one of the Harlem Renaissance's most celebrated photographers.
  • 104 Pages
  • Photography, Individual Photographers

Description



Book Synopsis



Available for the first time since 1978, The Harlem Book of the Dead showcases James Van Der Zee's unflinching creative vision

Originally published in 1978, The Harlem Book of the Dead is a haunting and beautiful document of Black funerary traditions in Harlem, capturing the community's mourning rituals through the lens of one of the Harlem Renaissance's most celebrated photographers. The publication is the most complete record of Van Der Zee's funerary photographs, featuring over three dozen portraits by the artist, who meticulously composed the setting and the subjects before using his renowned darkroom and retouching skills to superimpose celestial figures, poetry, biblical scenes or portraits onto the images to compensate for lack of adornments, such as flowers, or to fulfill the requests of his subjects or their families.
These portraits are complemented and captioned by poems from Owen Dodson and a wide-ranging interview with Van Der Zee by the sculptor and filmmaker Camille Billops, who conceptualized and edited the publication. This facsimile edition reproduces the printing and specifications of the 1978 publication. The original foreword by Toni Morrison is included, and accompanied by a newly commissioned afterword by Karla FC Holloway, author of the canonical Passed On (2001).
James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) began working as a photographer in 1915, and by the following year had opened his photography studio on West 135th Street in Harlem. His images of Black New Yorkers, together with celebrities such as Langston Hughes, Joe Louis and Marcus Garvey, form an indelible corpus of images of the Harlem Renaissance.

Dimensions (Overall): 10.5 Inches (H) x 9.0 Inches (W)
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Individual Photographers
Genre: Photography
Number of Pages: 104
Publisher: Primary Information
Theme: Artists' Books
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Street Date: October 14, 2025
TCIN: 1003237635
UPC: 9798991036726
Item Number (DPCI): 247-02-4053
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 9 inches width x 10.5 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
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