Reflections in Black: A Reframing
Document Type
Group Exhibition
Role
Artist
Publisher
Center for Black Visual Culture, Cooper Square Gallery, New York University, New York, NY, September 4 to December 21, 2025
Publication Date
9-2025
Abstract
Reflections in Black: A Reframing includes modern and original prints and extends Deborah Willis’s pioneering effort to reshape the narrative of American history, by centering the indisputable aesthetic, political, and cultural contributions of Black photographers from the 19th century to the present. Featured in the exhibition is The Missing Chapter: Black Chronicles, Autograph’s pop-up photography display featuring 30 remarkable image panels, reproduced from rare 19th-century photographs portraying people of African, Caribbean and South Asian descent during the Victorian era in Britain. Focused on unearthing nineteenth-century photographs of black presences in Britain’s archives, the portraits offer a unique snapshot of black lives and experiences during the decades following the birth of photography in 1839. Many of these images lay buried deep within the archives for decades, unseen for more than 125 years. Through both historical and contemporary lenses, Reflections in Black: A Reframing foregrounds a sweeping visual archive that affirms Black self-authorship in image making, spotlighting the evolution and enduring vitality of Black photographic practices.
Repository Citation
Williams, W. E. (2025). [Photographs]. Reflections in Black: A Reframing. Center for Black Visual Culture, Cooper Square Gallery, New York University. (September 4-December 21, 2025). New York, NY.