Couple, Harlem NATZ VER

When was Couple, Harlem made?

1932

When/where was Zee born?

Massachusetts, 1886

Zee’s family was _____ class

Middle

How old was Zee when he moved to NY?

20

Zee moved to NY to be a musician, being skilled in what two instruments?

Piano and violin

What orchestra did Zee play in?

Harlem Orchestra

When did Zee open up his portrait studio in Harlem?

1916

What was most of Zee’s output?

Photographic portraits

What famous celebrities did Zee photograph?

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Marcus Garvey

Why might a person hire Zee to photograph them?

For engagements or weddings, family photos, or glamour shots

True or False: Zee is from a rural background

False

How many Black people moved out of the rural South into cities from 1940s-1960s?

3 to 4 million

Who discusses how the Great Migration is “everywhere in urban life”, including configuration, housing projects, and phenomenons like white flight?

Isabelle Wilkerson

The Great Migration opened up opportunities for….

Wealth creation, better education, and freedom of movement

What are two ways that people of color in cities were often restricted into one place/neighborhood?

Restrictive covenants and redlining

What were some broad cultural effects of the Great Migration?

Changes in urban settlement, popular culture, and race relations

What was the Black population of Harlem in 1925?

175,000

What cities outside of Harlem had large Black arts scenes?

D.C., Tulsa, and San Francisco

The New Negro included poetry by…

Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen

The New Negro included short stories by…

Zora Neale Hurston and Rudolph Fisher

The New Negro included photographs of…

African sculpture

The New Negro included retelling of…

African folktales

The New Negro included texts about sociology and politics by….

Du Bois and Walter White

Who did Zee often cater to?

Affluent customers wanting to show off material goods or project an air of sophistication and charisma

Where are most of Zee’s photographs shot?

In his own studio

Zee used a painted backdrop that evoked…

Nature scenes or grand architectural settings

The woman in Couple, Harlem places her weight on which foot?

Her left

sprezzatura is an ideal from what era?

Renaissance

Who painted ‘Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers’ and when?

Aaron Douglas, 1934

What is the man’s expression?

Firm mouth with gently raised eyebrows

What is the woman’s expression?

Smiling

Who identifies the car in the photo as a limited edition custom Cadillac V-16?

MoMA

When did the V-16 go into production?

1930

How many V-16’s were made?

4000

When did photographers begin to use props and painted backdrops in their portraits to give an air of elegance and sophistication?

Late 19th century

When did the photo album become a popular way to celebrate family in Black culture?

After the Civil War

What writer discusses how the photo album was often a way Black families showed who they wanted to be (“assume other identities”)?

Cheryl Finley

What explains why Couple, Harlem captures a moment in fashion history?

Shopping culture, seasonal changes, and ads to promote fads

When did Zee’s style fall out of fashion?

1940s

When and where was the “Harlem on My Mind” exhibit held?

1969, metropolitan Museum of Art

When did Zee die?

1983

What famous Black graffiti artists did Zee shoot a portrait of?

Jean-Michael Basquiat

What is the medium of Couple, Harlem?

Gelatin silver print