Carl Van Vechten

Here photographer Carl Van Vechten captures a portrait of the singer, actor, and political activist Paul Robeson. Van Vechten, who was white, was deeply moved by the writers, performers, and other creatives associated with the Harlem Renaissance, championing them in his work and counting many of them as friends. This image was produced posthumously by the celebrated printer Richard Benson, who expertly translated 50 of Van Vechten’s photographic portraits into photogravure prints. The portfolio O, Write My Name both recognizes Van Vechten’s photography and celebrates his prominent African American subjects.

–Conor Moynihan, associate curator of prints, drawings, and photographs