Doll Test, Harlem, New York, 1947 (printed 2020)
Gordon Parksexpand_more
Gelatin silver printexpand_more
Gift of funds from Mary and Bob Merskyexpand_more 2020.55.4
Not on Viewexpand_more
The photographs selected reflect the depth and range of Parks’ work to explore the impacts of systemic racism upon African Americans and to foreground Black activism in his photography. Through these disparate prints, taken over the long course of his career, Parks illuminates key moments in the evolution of Black liberation and anti-racist efforts—both academic and grass-roots—in cities across America. Always seeking to portray the individuality and specificity of character inherent to his subjects, Parks created sensitive, memorable images of adults and children exercising their right to free speech, participating in an anti-racist psychological study, and playing with a fragile, white baby doll. Nearly wordlessly, these images convey the determination and vision at the heart of the American Civil Rights Movement, through the lens of one of its strongest proponents. From the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, DC, to demonstrations in Harlem and Los Angeles, to tender studies of children at work and at play, Parks revealed the resilience, vision, and humanity of Black Americans at a pivotal moment in history.
Details
- Title
- Doll Test, Harlem, New York
- Artist Life
- 1912-2006
- Role
- Photographer
- Accession Number
- 2020.55.4
- Curator Approved
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