ABSTRACT
Carl Van Vechten is best known for his interest in African-American culture. Carlo, as he was known by friends, was in the 1920s Harlem’s “most enthusiastic and ubiquitous Nordic.” His articles on music and literature in Vanity Fair and The New York Times are often credited for discovering the New Negro Movement for whites. Not only did he write about the music, drama, and literature of the New Negro Movement, he also befriended many of its important artists and organizers, and was himself an influential patron. Van Vechten donated money for literary prizes and supported many of the younger generation of black writers, including LANGSTON HUGHES and COUNTEE CULLEN. Van Vechten’s efforts to promote African-American culture also echoed in his photography. His provocative photographs taken from 1932 until his death document important African-American figures in the arts.
