Presented by YOUR MUSEUM
Dates
“Black and White in Black and White: Images of Dignity, Hope, and Diversity in America” is curated by Douglas Keister and based upon the physical exhibition of the same name touring through Exhibit Envoy.
All photos © Douglas Keister Collection except where noted.
Introduction
[Johnson’s photographs] speak to a time and a place where African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens but lived their lives with dignity…You can read about it and hear people talk about it, but to actually see the images is something entirely different.
Michèle Gates Moresi, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, on John Johnson’s photographs
The beginning of the 20th-century was a time of great promise and hope for race relations in America. This optimistic era was fueled by what was known at the time as the “New Negro Movement,” a period which set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance. No one better captured the essence of this time of advancement than African American photographer John Johnson.
Primarily using his neighborhood in Lincoln, Nebraska as his canvas, Johnson crafted powerful portraits of his Black friends and neighbors from 1910 to 1925. Equally as important as Johnson’s ennobling images of African Americans are his images of mixed racial groups, which depict a vibrant and integrated community. His subjects may have lived modestly, but Johnson’s lens portrayed a nobility and optimism far beyond their circumstances.
These photographs are extraordinary documents of a time of change in America. Indeed, Johnson’s contributions are so significant that the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture acquired Johnson’s work for their collection; Johnson’s work is even on display in their permanent and rotating exhibitions.
A number of the people depicted in Johnson’s photos eventually migrated across the country to pursue better opportunities. They positively impacted their new communities, becoming educators, artists, parents, and business owners.
Navigating the Online Exhibit
As you peruse this exhibit, you’ll be able to dive more deeply into each image, and meet many of the people that John Johnson photographed. To read each caption, simply click or tap on the photograph to learn more. Try it with the images above to learn more about Mamie Griffin and George Butcher, and with the image here to learn more about this musician.
Later in the exhibit, you’ll also see colorized versions of John Johnson’s photographs. These digitally-retouched images can help bring new details into focus, and can help us better imagine the lives of the people that Johnson photographed.
Listen While You Look
Ragtime music, followed closely by jazz and the blues, was all the rage during the years that John Johnson photographed his friends and neighbors in Lincoln, Nebraska. Immerse yourself in the time period with these hit songs, written and performed by Black musicians, as you view the exhibit.
Please note: within this exhibit, you will see some outdated terms in primary source materials.
The New Negro Movement
Why do not more young colored men and women take up photography as a career? The average white photographer does not know how to deal with colored skins and having neither sense of the delicate beauty or tone nor will to learn, he makes a horrible botch of portraying them.
W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Crisis” Magazine, 1923
Setting the Stage
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The New Negro Movement
The Younger Generation comes, bringing its gifts. They are the first fruits of the Negro Renaissance. Youth speaks, and the voice of the New Negro is heard.
Alain Locke
At the beginning of the 20th-century, Black authors and activists worked hard to discard the stereotype of the “Old Negro,” the plantation slave depicted as subservient, uneducated, and lazy. Instead, they championed what they deemed the “New Negro,” the contemporary African American man or woman who was educated, refined, and sophisticated. Members of the New Negro Movement prided themselves on their political advocacy, and drew attention to inequality and the need for Black empowerment, self-confidence, and organized protest.
Two books, in particular, influenced the movement and advocated for Black education and opportunity: W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk (1903) and Alain Locke’s anthology The New Negro: An Interpretation (1925). Another well-known manifestation of the New Negro Movement lives on today: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded in 1909 in New York City.
Photographer John Johnson captured the lives of his friends and neighbors in Lincoln, Nebraska in the midst of this movement. As such, it is no surprise that Johnson’s portraits reflect the period’s ideals. His images are studies in empowerment, ennoblement, respect, and dignity. The faces of his subjects radiate hope and strength. And, many of his subjects are photographed holding books, symbolizing the education and intelligence of the “New Negro.”
Uncovering History
Five Decades of Discoveries
In 1965, as a junior at Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska, Doug Keister acquired 280 glass plate negatives. The plates, originally purchased at a garage sale by his friend Doug Boilesen, first struck Boilesen’s fancy because one was thought to show a young girl posing beside a phonograph. After unearthing the plate and adding it to his phonograph memorabilia collection, he sold the others to Keister. Keister immediately made “contact prints” (prints the same size as the negative) from some of the 5” x 7” plates. These prints revealed local street scenes and a number of portraits, primarily of African American men, women, and children.
When Keister moved to California in 1968 to become a professional photographer, Keister stacked the negatives in shoeboxes and stored them in his parents’ basement. A few years later, he transported the boxes to his new home in Oakland.
Over 30 years later, in March 1999, Victor and Juanita McWilliams shared 36 glass negatives with the Nebraska State Historical Society. The negatives depicted the city’s African American residents and were attributed to Earl McWilliams (1892-1960), Victor’s uncle and a one-time assistant at Lincoln’s Townsend Photography Studio. When the Lincoln Journal Star ran a story about the discovery, Keister’s mother saw the article. She sent it to him with a simple note. It read, “Don’t you have some old glass negatives?”
Experts soon concluded that Keister’s collection appeared to have been taken by the same “eye.” A few months later, they entered the national stage through a Newsweek magazine feature.
Keister and Ed Zimmer, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Lincoln, continued to look into the photographs’ provenance. They studied images for details that would indicate dates, photographic techniques, or personal history of the artist. A major breakthrough came from Ruth Talbert, a woman who remembered an African American man named John Johnson (1879-1953) as the one who took the photographs.
More research revealed a booklet compiled by Johnson: “Negro History of Lincoln, 1888-1938.” The text listed Johnson as the only photographer, with McWilliams and others as assistants. Historians now consider Johnson to be the photographer, but research continues to verify a collaboration between Johnson and McWilliams.
Finding the Photographer
This image is pivotal in our understanding of these photographs. The glass negative reached California as part of the Keister collection, but an original print survived in the possession of Ruth Talbert. She told researchers in 2002, “Mr. Johnny Johnson took our picture,” providing key information related to the identity of the photographer.
Here, Reverend Albert W. Talbert, his wife Mildred, son Dakota, and daughter Ruth (the same Ruth that remembered Johnson as the photographer) posed in front of Newman Methodist Episcopal Church around 1914. The Talberts came to Lincoln in 1914 from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and Rev. Talbert ministered to his African American congregation until 1920. Mother Millie later worked as a hairdresser to support Ruth as she earned her teaching certification at the University of Nebraska.
In this photograph, which was taken around 1917, Dakota is wearing a swastika pin. Long before the Nazi party claimed the symbol to represent its extreme white nationalism and racism, the swastika symbol represented good luck. The symbol is historically seen in different countries, cultures, and religions throughout the world. While it’s unclear why Dakota chose to wear this pin in the photograph, we do know that he was not proclaiming his support of the Nazi party.
The Man Behind the Camera
Who was John Johnson?
In 1879, photographer John Johnson was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in the house his father built. After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1899, Johnson attended the University of Nebraska. But, even for an educated African American man, employment in Lincoln was restricted largely to service occupations or heavy labor. Johnson was no exception. City directories listed Johnson as a drayman (cart or wagon driver), laborer, and janitor at the Post Office/Courthouse.
However, from approximately 1910 until at least 1926, Johnson also worked as an accomplished photographer. He created hundreds of unique images in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kansas City. Working without a studio, most of his extraordinary images were taken outdoors or in homes, churches, and workplaces. That photography was more than a hobby to Johnson is suggested both by the quality of his photographs and by the quantity of his images discovered so far — approximately 500 glass plate negatives have been found in various collections.
Johnson married Odessa Price in August 1918, when Odessa was 27 and John was 39. The couple had no children, and died within months of each other in 1953. They lived in Lincoln for their entire married life.
John’s parents, Margaret and Harrison Johnson, had both hailed from the South. During the Civil War, Harrison Johnson escaped from slavery in Arkansas at the young age of 13 or 14. He “sought protection inside the lines of the First Nebraska regiment,” allowing him to enlist as a private in the otherwise all-white unit. His wife, Margaret, had been born in Mississippi in 1854, most likely into slavery.
When Harrison and Margaret settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, “Hary” worked as a cook at a hotel. After he died in 1900, Margaret remained in Lincoln where she lived with her son. A small, prim woman, Margaret was often seen riding to church “ramrod-straight” in John’s horse-drawn wagon.
Johnson’s Earliest Photographs
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Life in Lincoln
John Johnson’s photographs deftly captured the lives of his family, friends, and neighbors in Lincoln, Nebraska. Click on each photograph to learn more about the men, women, and children in each picture, and to view each photograph as a full-size image.
Hannah Rosier, c. 1910-1915
Recent research reveals that the woman depicted here is Hannah Rosier, who lived in Lincoln for over 40 years.
Hannah’s father, Daniel Bruce, was born in 1779. He bought his wife, Hannah Brigette, from her slave master when she was 38 yrs old. Their daughter, also named Hannah (and the woman pictured here), was born in 1821. The family was free and lived in Washington, DC.
In 1848, Hannah married young John Rosier, who was a barber. Sometime in the late 1850s, Hannah and her family moved to a small farm in Wisconsin. By the early 1860s, John was drafted into the U.S. Army. He fought with the 5th Wisconsin Infantry Reorganized Co E, and was sent to Virginia to pursue General Lee and cause him to surrender; John looked on as Lee did so at Appomattox. John returned home to his farm after the war but passed in 1869, possibly from war injuries. Hannah and her children soon left the farm and sought out a new life in Lincoln, NE around 1872. In Lincoln, Hannah spent over 40 years nursing women and delivering their children. She died in 1915 at the age of 94, close to when this photo was taken.
Thanks to Stan Schmunk for his additional research.
Additional photographs and stories are only available in the full online exhibition.
Then and Now
Over the past century, some of the locations that Johnson photographed have changed drastically or disappeared. Others, however, remain recognizable. These two short videos, both with no sound, show how we are still connected to the people and places of 100 years ago.
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Together in Black and White
One reason that John Johnson’s work is so important is that his images depict people of different races living, working, and playing together. These images of mixed racial groups reveal a vibrant and integrated community in America’s heartland.
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The Thomas Family and Frances Hill
Although family members, friends, researchers, and Lincoln residents have helped uncover the stories behind some of Johnson’s photographs, details remain relatively sparse for many. The Thomas Family and Frances Hill are two clear exceptions. These two stories reflect how family lore and historic documents help shed more light on our shared past.
The Thomas Family
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Frances Hill
Once a person’s name is verified, old newspaper clippings can help to illuminate their story. Such was the case of young Frances Hill, whose marriage and tragic death were documented in Lincoln, Nebraska newspapers.
Frances Hill was born in 1904. We first meet Frances through these interior photographs, with bold wallpaper providing a backdrop. It’s likely that this was Hill’s home at 524 N. 9th Street. There, she lived with her mother, Mabel Galbreath, and her stepfather, John C. Galbreath. John was sometimes a waiter; in the 1920 census, he was listed as operating a restaurant. The 1920 census reflects that 15-year-old Frances lived in the Lincoln home.
The 1920 census also lists Ben and Lottie Corneal, who lived next door to the Galbreaths at 520 N. 9th Street. Lottie and Ben had two boarders at that time: Aaron Douglas, a 21-year-old university student, and a barber. Aaron Douglas went on to become one of the most accomplished and influential visual artists of the Harlem Renaissance, joining W.E.B. Du Bois as an art critic at his important magazine, The Crisis, and earning the nickname “the father of Black American art.” Douglas lived in Lincoln for about 7 years; it is likely that next-door neighbors Aaron and Frances were friends.
After Frances graduated from high school, she worked at a local department store, selling women’s hats in the millinery department. She also attended the University of Nebraska, where she met Bert Taylor. Frances and Bert fell in love, and they got married in September of 1929. Together, they moved to New York City, where Aaron Douglas also lived. Whether Aaron and Frances communicated at this time is unknown, but it’s likely that they kept in touch.
Tragedy occurred in November of 1932. As a newspaper article tells us, Frances was riding in a car that crashed into an oil truck. After the accident, “[she] was in a dazed condition, and when the oil truck burst into flames, she wandered unnoticed from the scene of the accident.” Frances went missing for several weeks, and her mother helped organize a search for her. Sadly, Frances’ body was found almost two months after the accident, and her body was returned to Lincoln for the funeral and burial. Frances was 27 years old.
Photography Then and Now
Glass Plate Negatives
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Bringing Photographs to Life through Color
Before the widespread availability of color film in the 1950s and 1960s, most photographs were taken in black and white. For special occasions such as weddings and formal portraits, photographers often hand-colored photographs using time-consuming and tedious air brushing and tinting techniques.
Nowadays, digital photographic artists can use a variety of techniques to apply color to old photographs. Members of the “Teach Me to Color” Facebook group colorized the images seen here. Although the artists may not know the precise colors of the clothing or objects in Johnson’s photographs, the group refers to vintage clothing, fabric swatches, and other historical research to inform their work.
These reimagined interpretations of John Johnson’s photographs give the subjects new life, highlighting details and nuances that were not always readily noticeable in the original versions.
Scroll over to see all of the images. Click for full captions.
Repairing Damages Electronically
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Upcoming Programs
Host venues are able to list upcoming events or programs in this section.
Explore More
Look Closer: Scavenger Hunt
John Johnson’s photographs are rich with details, and give us more insights into the lives and interests of the people he photographed. Take a look back through the exhibit in this scavenger hunt. Can you find these details within the photographs on display here? What can these details tell us about the men, women, and children in each photograph?
Note: all details are drawn from still photographs in this exhibit. No details come from the videos in the exhibit.
Piece It Together: Dorothy Loving with Plants on the Porch
This puzzle features a colorized photograph of, likely, Dorothy Loving, who graduated from Lincoln High School and was an active member of Quinn Chapel. To view the full photo as you work, click on the square white icon with two small mountains.
Photograph of (likely) Dorothy Loving by John Johnson. Colorization by Lori Zaza.
Watch the Exhibit Tour: Short Documentary “Forgotten World” from PBS
Before becoming an online exhibition, “Black and White in Black and White” traveled across the United States as a physical museum exhibition. NET Nebraska, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations, created a short documentary about the exhibition while it was installed at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. See more of Johnson’s work, catch glimpses of the in-person exhibition, and learn more about these photos’ significance in this 7-minute video.
Thank You
Thank you for viewing Black and White in Black and White as hosted by MUSEUM.
[Acknowledgements and Other Info Here]
To find out more about the museum, visit WEBSITE LINK today.
Do you recognize any of the people in these images? Contact the curator, Doug Keister, at [email protected] with any and all information you may have to share. This is an ongoing project, and your insights are important!
Black and White in Black and White: Images of Dignity, Hope, and Diversity in America features selected images from the Douglas Keister Collection [external link] and is presented with support from California State University, Chico. The online and physical exhibits are traveled by Exhibit Envoy.
Special thanks to the people and organizations that made this exhibit possible: Axel Boilesen; Doug Boilesen; California State University, Chico; David Cohen; Tray Robinson, Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, CSU, Chico; Joel Zimbelman, Dean of Humanities, CSU, Chico; Ed Zimmer, Historic Preservation Planner, City of Lincoln; and Dr. Paul J. Zingg, President Emeritus, CSU, Chico.
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