The Levine Museum of the New South is an unusually important artifact: a photo album containing photos and tintypes of 34 men and women (and a couple of teens) who appear to be part of the upper-class black society that emerged in Charlotte after the Civil War and before the rise of Jim Crow segregation laws. The photo album probably was made around 1900, a period when Charlotte saw its “first blossoming” of an African-American mainstream culture that included black churches, schools, stores, a newspaper and theaters.
Evidence suggests most of the 34 people are locals, starting with the fact that some photos are credited to Henry Baumgarten, a 19th century Charlotte photographer and leader in the local Jewish community. Baumgarten died in 1918.
Evidence suggests most of the 34 people are locals, starting with the fact that some photos are credited to Henry Baumgarten, a 19th century Charlotte photographer and leader in the local Jewish community. Baumgarten died in 1918.
You can read more in an article by Mark Price in the Charlotte Observer at http://goo.gl/4Bcz1. The article also contains contact information for the Levine Museum of the New South.
My thanks to newsletter reader June Lioret for telling me about this interesting mystery.
