Roy DeCarava – Photographer

Roy DeCarava was an African American artist who received early critical acclaim for his black and white photography.

Initially engaging and imaging the lives of African Americans and jazz musicians in the communities where he lived and worked, DeCarava was a regular presence in Harlem and documented a number of local scenes and people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_DeCarava

This image of a sidewalk, a boy, a car, and a stoop, stands out because the building it is centered on, still exists.

2083 5th Avenue, today, has the same recognizable building/stoop design, and is located almost directly across from the home where the Collyer brothers once lived in their hoarding squalor.

I love that in the DeCarava image you can zoom in to the polished hubcap of the car, and actually see the streetscape on the west side of 5th Avenue between 128th and 129th Streets:

In reverse, of course (note that the rooftop extension on the white building is ‘new’, as is the gap between the white building and the larger apartment building to the north):

And while hidden by the trees in the left of the photo (above), the Collyer’s brownstone is clearly absent in the hubcap reflection. Torn down and made into a Harlem park.

Build the Bench: Why Black Representation Matters

Join Build the Bench on Thursday for a celebration of their first anniversary and to tune into a conversation about increasing Black voices in the halls of power.

To register: BuildTheBench.eventbrite.com


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