Family Matters

Collective Portraits of Africans in America 1860-1960

By Museum of Public Art

Vintage photographs from the collection of Kevin Harris

unknown (1880) by Detroit Publishing CompanyMuseum of Public Art

title by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

UNKNOWN (1900) by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

FAMILY ALBUM COVERS

Family Albums at the turn of the century were works of art all by themselves.

UNKNOWN (1900) by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Family album with hand tooled leather and gold leaf.

UNKNOWN (1890) by KEVIN HARISMuseum of Public Art

Family album with celluloid cover and velvet back.

UNKNOWN (1900) by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Brass and leather album cover

unknown (1890) by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Elaborately detailed cover in velvet with brass and celluloid inset.

UNKNOWN (1900) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1890) by Kevin Harris collectionMuseum of Public Art

The Kevin Harris Collection

Album Pages

UNKNOWN (1900) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1860) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1870) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Early Photographs

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1860) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

sixth plate ambrotype

unknown (1865) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1870) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Ambrotype of "free woman of color" circa 1850.

unknown by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Slavery and Reconstruction

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Great grandparents by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Maternal great grandmother and great grandfather born into slavery.

unknown (1880) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1890) by Detroit Publishing CompanyMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1890) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Although this photo was taken in 1896, little had changed in the lives of African Americans in North Carloina 33 years after emancipation.

unknown (1880) by Detroit Publishing CompanyMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1900) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Mother and son both born slaves. She had 27 children and 7 sets of twins!

unknown (1860) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

African American Aristocracy

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1880) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1890) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Grandmother and her sisters (1910) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Family Band (1880) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1875) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Tintypes

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1870) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

uknown (1890) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1870) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1880) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1870) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1890) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1880) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1920) by Detroit Photo CompanyMuseum of Public Art

The Itinerant Photographer

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1910) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1900) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1920) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

uknown (1920) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1910) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

The Snapshot

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Tight Like That (1920) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

untitled (1927) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1920) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

mom and dad (1950) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Mom and Dad

unknown (1922) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1940) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

The Photobooth

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Aunt Maxine (1930) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

Aunt Maxine

unknown (1940) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown (1930) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

The Arcade

unknown (1940) by KEVIN HARRIS collectionMuseum of Public Art

unknown by KEVIN HARRISMuseum of Public Art

Credits: Story

All images are part of the private collection of Kevin Harris, Director Museum of Public Art.

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

Museum of Public Art

Stories from Museum of Public Art

Online Exhibit

BELIN "Off The Wall" Museum Exhibit

Museum of Public Art

Online Exhibit

Egoless Event

Museum of Public Art

Online Exhibit

Museum of Public Art

Online Exhibit

JAZZ IN THE ALLEY

Museum of Public Art

Explore more

Related theme

Black History and Culture

The past, present, and future of the Black experience in the United States

View theme