Civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois presented photographs of African Americans at the Paris Exposition of 1900 to show what life was like for them at the turn of the century. The Paris Exposition was dedicated to issues of social economy. The photographs were part of a larger exhibit on the history and current state of African Americans in the United States. Du Bois, who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for equal rights for African Americans, contributed 500 photographs to the exhibition, which also featured books written by African Americans, charts, and maps. The Library of Congress has preserved over 200 of the photographs reportedly displayed in the exhibition.
We rounded up some of the best pictures that feature black women. From stunning formal portraits to candids of women at work, these photos are a window into the beautiful and elaborate fashions of 1900 as well as a primer what jobs and educational opportunities were available for black women.
African America woman, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly right
Nursing student wearing a starched white uniform, seated in a rocking chair, reading
African American woman, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front
Two African American women, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing each other
Nine African American women, full-length portrait, seated on steps of a building at Atlanta University, Georgia
African American woman, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left
Cutting and fitting
Young African American woman, half-length portrait, facing front, smiling
African Americans, mostly women, sorting tobacco at the T.C. Williams & Co., tobacco, Richmond, Virginia
Header photo: Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia
Images Via Library of Congress/ W.E.B. Du Bois
More from BUST
Get Your Fix Of Stunning Vintage Photography By Women
This Artist Poses Nude At Former Slave-Trade Sites
How Native American Women Inspired The Feminist Movement
Madeline Raynor is a New York City-based writer. She is a Blog Editor at BUST. She has written for Splitsider, The Billfold, Death and Taxes, Mashable, Indiewire, and Time Out New York. She loves all things Tina Fey. Word to the wise: her first name is pronounced with a long “i,” like the red-haired girl from France. Follow her on Twitter @madelineraynor_.
