A portrait of one of the earliest African American and Native American colleges, from an album found in a bookstore by Lincoln Kirstein.

Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952), is credited as the first female photojournalist in the United States. She was commissioned in 1899 to photograph the Hampton Institute. The then a 30-year-old institution was dedicated to the education of young African American and Native American men and women. What became known as the Hampton Album―comprised of 159 luxurious platinum plates that offer insight into the daily life of students. It was exhibited in 1900 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. It is Johnston’s signature work, and a touchstone for contemporary artists and historians.

The original leatherbound album was discovered serendipitously by Lincoln Kirstein in a Washington, DC, bookstore during World War II. It was donated to MoMA in 1965. This softcover volume contains 43 photographs and was published in 1966.

Specifications:

• Publication: 1966, The Museum of Modern Art

• Cover: Soft

• Plates: 43 Black and White Photos

• Condition: Good with some foxing on front and back covers