Ellie Lee Weems (1901-1983)
"Ethel Brown. . ." (#652), 1946; Selenium toned, silver gelatin print

For five decades, Ellie Lee Weems black and white photography documented life in the American Black South. Working first from a studio on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, and later in Jacksonville, Florida, Weems photographed memorable moments in the lives of several generations. Births, funerals, ceremonies, entertainers, celebrities, family portraits, and members of Masonic orders. Weems illuminated life during the Depression, World War II and the ensuing struggle for racial integration. The bulk of Weems work is in the collection of the Auburn Avenue Research Library of African-American Culture and History, a branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Atlanta, Georgia. The Barbara Archer Gallery is proud to present a rare privately owned collection and offer these images for sale.