February is Black History Month, and @DGNFineArts is pleased to spotlight the pioneering work of African American artists.
Addison Scurlock (1883-1964) was an ambitious photographer who migrated from North Carolina to Washington, DC with his parents. Following an apprenticeship with a prominent white photographer, Scurlock opened his own studio in the Black community. Scurlock’s photography of elite Black events such as ballets, operas, and the likenesses of Black celebrities, such as W.E.B DuBois and Marian Anderson, illustrated opposition to traditional minstrel caricatures of Black life. Scurlock’s sons eventually took over the business and ran a photography school that was attended by Jacqueline Bouvier (Kennedy) before she married JFK. Recently, the Scurlock Studio was a focal exhibit at the American History Smithsonian.
