Carl Van Vechten : 'O, Write My Name'

O, Write My Name: American Portraits, Harlem Heroes, now also a traveling exhibition organized by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the New York Public Library, presents us with portraits of 50 extraordinary people who participated in the great cultural movement that was the Harlem Renaissance. This collection of 50 exquisite duotone prints by the photographer, critic and novelist Carl Van Vechten is a celebration of these inimitable writers, actors, musicians, painters, athletes and intellectuals as well as an acknowledgment of their unprecedented contribution to American art and culture. Van Vechtens friendship with his subjects is reflected in the intimate nature of these portraits. With an insightful introduction by American novelist, playwright and essayist Darryl Pinckney, this book is an homage to the African American men and women from the Harlem Renaissance who continue to inspire generations.