Roy DeCarava * 1919 – 2009

Born in Harlem, NY in 1919, African-American photographer Roy DeCarava passed away this week leaving behind a treasure trove of black and white images spanning over 6 decades.

His pictures were usually of the people of Harlem and their everyday life. DeCarava said that “black people in America were not viewed as worthy subject matter” for art but rather were usually “portrayed either in a superficial or a caricatured way or as a problem.” … he wanted to achieve “a creative expression,” not a “documentary or sociological statement.”

DeCarava encouraged and influenced the work of many black photographers over the years. He was the first African American to win the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1952 and was awarded a National Medal of Arts in 2006. He collaborated with poet Langston Hughes, another Harlem native, for the acclaimed book, “The Sweet Flypaper of Life” in 1955.

His images, though often stark, were not harsh. Whether capturing the famous, like Paul Robeson and John Coltrane, or a man coming up the subway stairs, you could tell that Mr. DeCarava liked and respected his subjects.

(Image: “Man Coming Up the Stairs”, 1952)