Snapshots of a Century in African American Lives
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"Unlike either documentary or commercial photography, amateur photography in the twentieth century was not motivated by commercial value nor was it attempting to influence public opinion. But, did we know that we were capturing a moment of timeless beauty when we snapped Aunt Emma at the organ? Could we have imagined that two children playing on a sidewalk would speak volumes about the future growth of a neighborhood? Would the snapshot of a man in service to his country reflect just a son, brother, father, husband and neighbor or would it intimate the nuances of widespread patriotism, duty, and commitment to hard work with uncertain personal odds? These and more are the questions I ask myself about those brief moments, now timeless, when the camera’s shutter snapped quickly with an audible click. Because the technology did not exist, we are also assured that snapshot-taking was neither intended for online social-networking nor entertainment value across multiple media. This was, instead, the purist’s era of amateur snapshot photography for use by self and by family. ' from "Editor's Notes" by Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt
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About the Book
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">Snapshots of a Century in African American Lives</SPAN></I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"> heralds the artistry and historical importance of amateur snapshots taken during the twentieth century.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> S</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">cholar and Professor Emeritus Edmund W. Gordon wrote: </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">"This is also a book about the universal celebration of the beauty and dignity of the human condition as it is and can be captured by amateur camera persons. . ." </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">A book that captures visual history and visual culture is an ambitious project.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Snapshots of a Century in African American Lives</I> contains more than 100 images never before in publication.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Images were culled from a private collection.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Photojournalism professor D. Michael Cheers wrote (Introduction): </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">"These creative expressions, which showcase posed, candid and ordinary, yet unique, images, hand us a lens that drops in on strangers and allows all of us to reconnect with 'our African heritage.'”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">Photography curator Carol McCusker described their impact in the Afterword:</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">"Through their details, we are moved back in time or to somewhere in ourselves. They engage us in history in ways other media does not. In this capacity, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Snapshots of a Century in African-American Lives </I>makes us aware of what we know, what we think we know, and what we collectively aspire toward or want to forget, and, throughout, is undeniably American in our optimism."</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">Educators, historical societies, and museums will identify the important relevance of this book and the collection represented.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">This 120 page book is available in 8.5 x 11 soft cover format. An oversized hard cover edition will be available by late January. </SPAN></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"><FONT face=Calibri>The creator of this work, author <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri">and editor Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt, is<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri"> available for talks, book-signing events, and gallery exhibits. Contact her at <A href="mailto:SnapshotsCentury@aol.com">SnapshotsCentury@aol.com</A></SPAN></SPAN></FO
About the Author
Creator and project editor of Snapshots of a Century in African American Lives, Jennifer Cain Bohrnstedt, has published history books with both university presses and AuthorHouse. With a long-standing curiosity about visual history, Jennifer’s natural enthusiasm for ‘unsung,’ unappreciated snapshots nearing loss or destruction, parallels the candidates for her narrative and documentary history books. Those unrecognized heroes and heroines of history, whether their stories are told by words or by images, are those that have caught her attention over years of tireless research and collecting.
Jennifer, an avid supporter of author-controlled publishing and a member of the advisory council of Author Solutions, Inc., spent years in developing the project for both this book and its role launching a series based upon “Snapshots of a Century.”
Jennifer’s educational background includes both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and certification in adult and vocational education from California State University, San Bernardino.
With more than a twenty year career in both the public and private sectors, Jennifer turned her full-time attention to historical research and publication more than a decade ago. Her books are available online through major distributors such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble include Views From My Schoolroom Window (2006, AuthorHouse), While Father Is Away (2003, Univ. Press of Kentucky), Soldiering with Sherman (2000, Northern Illinois Univ. Press). Snapshots of a Century in the West, a prototype for this project, accompanied a two-month art show for the city of Palm Desert, California and is available directly from her at SnapshotsCentury@aol.com
Jennifer, a native Hoosier, is a seasoned speaker to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. She can be reached by email (above) or through the website: www.SnapshotsOfACentury.com