Snapshots of the Past

[Portrait of Bessie Smith] – Historic Photo Reproduction

[Portrait of Bessie Smith], 1936 Feb. 3. — historic photograph
[Portrait of Bessie Smith], 1936 Feb. 3.. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This historic photograph of [Portrait of Bessie Smith] brings a moment of history to your wall. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

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[Portrait of Bessie Smith]

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Dated February 3, 1936, this gelatin silver print shows Bessie Smith, the singer widely known as the Empress of the Blues, in a sitting made by Carl Van Vechten. Van Vechten, a writer and photographer, made portraits of many performers and writers during the 1930s, including a number of Harlem Renaissance figures. Smith's recordings from the 1920s, many made for Columbia, sold well and helped bring blues singing to a national audience. The print is held by the Library of Congress as part of Van Vechten's collection of celebrity portraits.

Created / published1936 Feb. 3.
Medium1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
GenrePortrait photographs.
NotesTitle derived from information on verso of photographic print. Van Vechten number: V J 26. Also available on microfilm. Gift; Carl Van Vechten Estate; 1966. Exhibit loan 4105-L. Forms part of: Portrait photographs of celebrities, a LOT which in turn forms part of the Carl Van Vechten photograph collection (Library of Congress).
SubjectsSmith, Bessie,--1894-1937.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,200 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-156580

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