1183 results for: Black/African American
Photograph
Trainer and boxer in gym with heavy bag, Seattle, circa 1952
A postal carrier during the week, Albert Joseph "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s African American community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene. In this image taken…
ID Number:2014.49.011.039.0091
Date:Circa 1952
Photograph
Buford Ransom holding training gear at boxing gym, September 24, 1947
Buford Silas Ransom (1927-2013) was a welterweight boxer from Seattle. Nicknamed "Schoolboy Ransom," he started boxing while a student at Broadway High School, and had his first amateur match in 1946, at 17 years old. Ransom was coached by professional fighter and trainer Frisco McGale, and won all 20 of his amateur bouts under McGale, 19 of them by knockout.…
ID Number:2014.49.011.041.0074
Date:1947
Photograph
Bride and groom on steps of Immaculate Conception Church, Seattle, circa 1947
Seattle photographer Al Smith took thousands of photographs of family, friends, and other local people in their everyday lives, particularly in the Central Area neighborhood. Here, Smith photographs a bride, groom, and bridesmaid walking down the steps of Immaculate Conception Church after their wedding. Immaculate Conception Church is still active as of 2023, and has been at the same location…
ID Number:2014.49.011.047.181
Date:Circa 1947
Photograph
Al, Izzy, and Butch Smith at home, Seattle, circa 1948
Albert Joseph "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008), was a photographer and prolific chronicler of life in Seattle's Central Area during the mid- to late-20th century. From a hobby begun as a preteen, Mr. Smith began his "weekend job" and photography business, On the Spot, in the 1940s, capturing life in the city’s Black community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local…
ID Number:2014.49.11.12.31
Date:Circa 1948
Photograph
Neighborhood houses, Seattle, circa 1955
Al Smith took many photographs in Seattle’s Central District, located between the downtown business district and out along East Madison. Housing discrimination and restrictive real estate covenants meant that this was one of the few areas where African Americans could live. Much of the neighborhood was made up of small older brick or frame houses. Here, two Central Area residents…
ID Number:2014.49.011.019.0090
Date:Circa 1955
Photograph
Black servicemen and their dates at a dance, Seattle, circa 1944
The US military was racially segregated throughout World War II and most home front services were also segregated. In Seattle, recreational events for Black servicemen and women, usually hosted by the U.S.O. or the Seattle Civilian War Commission, were often held separately from those for whites. In this photo, a large group of Black servicemen in uniform and their dates…
ID Number:2014.49.013.004.0033
Date:Circa 1944
Photograph
Thurgood Marshall with NAACP members at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, 1947
In 1947 Thurgood Marshall came to Seattle to address members of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The event was held on Sunday, March 16, at Mount Zion Baptist Church on 19th Avenue and East Madison Street in Seattle's Central District neighborhood. A few years earlier, Marshall founded and became the executive…
ID Number:2014.49.013.031.0267
Date:1947
Ephemera
Souvenir photo folder from the Black & Tan Club, Seattle, circa 1945
Seattle's Jackson Street jazz clubs flourished from World War II up until the early 1960s, when the Civil Rights movement broke down barriers barring African Americans from living and working in the larger community. Seattle-born photographer Albert J. "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008) was a familiar figure in the clubs, often taking pictures of patrons and friends, then returning the following…
ID Number:2014.49.13.05.01
Date:Circa 1945
Ephemera
Souvenir photo folder from the Basin Street Club, Seattle, circa 1945
Seattle's Jackson Street jazz clubs flourished from World War II up until the early 1960s, when the Civil Rights movement broke down barriers barring African Americans from living and working in the larger community. Seattle-born photographer Albert J. "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008) was a familiar figure in the clubs, often taking pictures of patrons and friends, then returning the following…
ID Number:2014.49.13.05.02
Date:Circa 1945
Photograph
Two boxers posing in a gym, Seattle, circa 1949
Two young boxers pose inside the ring in a gym near First Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle. The young man at right is Freddie Brown (1931-1961), who won the middleweight championship title at the 14th annual Golden Gloves Tournament in February 1949.
ID Number:2014.49.014.003.0005
Date:Circa 1949