African American Photography

Surely you’ll find the exact piece of african american photography you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. Find Modern versions now, or shop for Modern creations for a more modern example of these cherished works. If you’re looking for an item from our selection of african american photography from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 20th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. When looking for the right choice in our collection of african american photography for your space, you can search on 1stDibs by color — popular works were created in bold and neutral palettes with elements of black, gray, brown and white. Finding an appealing object in our assortment of african american photography — no matter the origin — is easy, but Leonard Freed, Nona Hatay, Jack Mitchell, Burt Glinn and Dawoud Bey each produced popular versions that are worth a look. Artworks like these of any era or style can make for thoughtful decor in any space, but a selection from our variety of those made in paper, film and photographic film can add an especially memorable touch. A large option in this array of african american photography can prove too dominant for some spaces — a smaller piece of african american photography, measuring 8 high and 8.5 wide, may better suit your needs.

The price for a piece of african american photography in our collection starts at $500 and tops out at $12,000 with the average selling for $2,480.

Find a broad range of photography on 1stDibs today.

The first permanent image created by a camera — which materialized during the 1820s — is attributed to Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The French inventor was on to something for sure. Kodak introduced roll film in the 1880s, allowing photography to become more democratic, although cameras wouldn’t be universally accessible until several decades later. 

Digital photographic techniques, software, smartphone cameras and social-networking platforms such as Instagram have made it even easier in the modern era for budding photographers to capture the world around them as well as disseminate their images far and wide. 

What might leading figures of visual art such as Andy Warhol have done with these tools at their disposal?

Today, when we aren’t looking at the digital photos that inundate us on our phones, we look to the past to celebrate the photographers who have broken rules as well as records — provocative and prolific artists like Horst P. Horst, Lillian Bassman and Helmut Newton, who altered the face of fashion and portrait photography; visionary documentary photographers such as Gordon Parks, whose best-known work was guided by social justice; and pioneers of street photography such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, who shot for revolutionary travel magazines like Holiday with the likes of globetrotting society lensman Slim Aarons.

Find photographers you may not know in Introspective and The Study — where you’ll read about Berenice Abbott, who positioned herself atop skyscrapers for the perfect shot, or “conceptual artist-adventurer” Charles Lindsay, whose work combines scientific rigor with artistic expression, or Massimo Listri, known for his epic interiors of opulent Old World libraries. Photographer Jeannette Montgomery Barron was given a Kodak camera as a child. Later, she shot on Polaroid film before buying her first 35mm camera in her teens. Barron's stunning portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Warhol and other artists chronicle a crucial chapter of New York’s cultural history.

Throughout the past two centuries, photographers have used their medium to create expressive work that has resonated for generations. Shop a voluminous collection of this powerful fine photography on 1stDibs. Search by photographer to find the perfect piece for your living room wall, or spend some time with the work organized under various categories, such as landscape photography, nude photography and more.