(PHOTOGRAPHY). (BLACK EXCELLENCE). The Black Photographers Annual. Volume 2.

"A Revolutionary Act"

(PHOTOGRAPHY). (BLACK EXCELLENCE). The Black Photographers Annual. Volume 2. (New York: Black Photographers Annual, 1974) 102, [6] pp. (253 x 215 mm.) First Edition. Original glossy printed wrappers. Illustrated throughout with full-page black and white photographic reproductions.  About fine, with just a small nick on edge of upper cover, and a hint of soiling on lower cover.

An extraordinary collection of images from both established and up-and-coming photographers documenting the black experience at home and abroad.

This is the second in a series of four separately published works issued between 1973-80, showcasing the work of 51 black photographers from the United States, Canada, and England. Their photographs highlight a diverse array of subjects and experiences from the joyous to the poignant, including musicians commanding the stage, street scenes, portraits half a world away, and contemporary political events. Toni Morrison, in her introduction to the first volume, says that the annuals were "conceived as a commitment to the community of Black artists." University of Virginia professor John Edwin Mason calls them "a revolutionary act," noting how "Black photographers . . . understood black culture implicitly: getting the jokes, recognizing the body language, hearing the words that were left unspoken. Most importantly, they lived with the burdens and pleasures of moving through America in a black body, and they put this knowledge on film. As a result, their photographs defy conventional representations of black people. In the annuals, none of the hundreds of portraits of black people is meant to represent the race or 'the Negro Problem.' Lazy, lying, clownish, and criminal black people are nowhere to be seen." An incredible range of talent is represented in this volume, including well-known names such as James Van Der Zee, Beuford Smith, Jimmie Mannas, and P. H. Polk.  (1023)

Further reading: Mason, "An Annual Compendium of Black Photography that Was a Revolutionary Act" (https://hyperallergic.com/black-photographs-annual-virginia-museum-fine-arts/)