The vibrant and bustling neighborhood occupying the upper reaches of Manhattan has been at the crosswords of the artistic, literary, and political currents of the African-American community since the earliest days of the twentieth century. Home to writers and revolutionaries, artists and agitators, Harlem has been both subject and inspiration for countless photographers. This sweeping photographic survey tells the story of Harlem--its distinctive landscape and extraordinary inhabitants--throughout the last century.

Following a poignant introduction by Thelma Golden, who talks of her family ties to Harlem, the book is divided into three major periods in which leading scholars chronicle the famous enclave's rich artistic and political history. Deborah Willis considers the first few decades of the twentieth century, a pivotal time in Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance was born in these early years, and Willis considers the flowering of artistic activity in and about Harlem. Cheryl Finley explores the mid-century and offers close readings of the images and examines some of the recurring themes and photographic tropes that abounded during that time: the front stoop, performers and entertainers, and political protests and rallies. Concluding the volume, Elizabeth Alexander lyrically considers the final thirty years of the last century and the first few years of our current one. Alexander advances the notion that while the march of time has transformed Harlem (as it does anywhere else), the photography herein "testi[fies] to [its] timeless presence."

This extraordinary volume--the first of its kind--includes 250 images by more than fifty photographers and artists, including: Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon, Dawoud Bey, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lenoard Freed, Chester Higgins, Jr., Helen Levitt, Gordon Parks, Aaron Siskind, James VanDerZee, Weegee, among many others.