A beautiful woman smiles for the camera in a white, flowing dress. With the grace and style of Audrey Hepburn, the Venus figure stares out from the black and white photograph, exuding a wealth and prestige in a period of history where this sophistication is unexpected in black America.
In Alice Ferrell’s exhibit, “The Years In Between: A Pictorial View of African-Americans Between the Post-Slavery and Civil-Rights Eras,” she reveals a wealthy, middle class of blacks.
“I had started to learn how to do photo restoration using Photoshop, and I had run out of family photos to restore,” Ferrell said. “I ran across an African-American photo to restore and wondered who the individual was — he was one that I wasn’t used to seeing.”
As Ferrell encountered more pictures portraying a wealthy middle class, the faceless years in between Reconstruction and the civil rights movement began to hold new meaning for her.
“These images for me inspired research because looking at these (pictures) you want to learn who these people are. As a woman, you can tell what is a Kmart dress. You can tell what they have on is a well-tailored or put together piece,” she said.
After reading “Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class” by Lawrence Otis Graham, Ferrell discovered a professional realm had flourished during the Jim Crow era. Under forced segregation, the black community built schools, and a middle class paralleling that of the white community arose, including doctors, lawyers, pastors and accountants.
“Some were so well-to-do that they traveled internationally,” she said.
Catherine Evans, photography curator for the Columbus Museum of Art, initially saw Ferrell’s private collection. The photographs range from tintypes to cabinet cards, which is the most dominant medium.
“(The) images were great; they’re positive imagery of African-Americans. The whole mission is to educate many who don’t know the history, or are accustomed to images of working in the fields. It’s a great antidote to that great message,” Evans said.
While Ferrell was attending school, black history was officially recognized a single week, rather than the month of February. The rising cultural awareness encouraged Ferrell, but she said there is still more to do.
“It’s my hope that eventually we will put African-Americans in their place in history. Chronologically through the wars, (educators should) mention what the African-Americans did in those wars during that time. Discuss the contributions made by African-Americans so that we’re not separated and confined to one month, but confined to history as it happens,” Ferrell said.
“That’s saying a lot by looking at photos, but that’s what looking at the photos did for me — but I’m hoping young African-Americans will do some research,” she said.
Moments from the lives of average people are captured in the exhibit. Elegantly dressed women sitting in poodle skirts stare, smiling, into a camera, looking like they stepped out of “Happy Days.” A bride smiles into a mirror while family or friends prepare her. These images leave a powerful impression on the viewer of a history, which is not commonly known.
“I kind of felt robbed, and asking why it’s not presented to me,” said Michael Somple, curatorial assistant for the Columbus Museum of Art.
“Alice has done such a great job of collecting and maintaining the pictures,” he said.
Ferrell doesn’t receive grants for her collection. She pays out of pocket for her work and is willing to collect any pictures made available to her.
“I just hope I don’t go broke in the process,” she said.
