Sixteen Vernacular Portrait Photographs of African American Women. 1920s–1940s. Group of sixteen vernacular portrait photographs depicting African American women, dating from the 1920s through the 1940s. The collection includes studio portraits and more informal images, with sitters posed before painted backdrops as well as in outdoor or domestic settings. Format/size vary. Primarily gelatin silver prints with at least one hand-colored example. The subjects are shown in a variety of attire including graduation dress, fashionable clothing, and everyday wear, offering a strong visual record of style and presentation across the period. A few photographs bear inscriptions or markings. Largest 4 x 6". 

Condition varies, with visible creasing, edge wear, losses, and surface abrasions.