James Van Der Zee

James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) was an American photographer. He and Gaynella Greenlee opened their studio, Guarantee Photo Studio, in 1916 in Harlem. He is Van Der Zee began his photography as a young man, documenting life in Lenox, Massachusetts. Through his studio, he documented the emerging Black middle class during the 1920s and 1930s, a period that would later be known as the Harlem Renaissance. Most of his work was standard commercial studio, including weddings, funerals, family groups, teams, clubs, and those who simply wanted a record of themselves. He supplied the props that would be used in his studio. Some of his more famous clients include mong his Marcus Garvey and Countee Cullen.