He was known as ‘One Shot Harris’. Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris earned the nickname because he often captured his most moving images in his first take.
The late photographer’s archive of nearly 80,000 is said to be the most expansive record of African American urban culture known today.
Now, fourteen years after his death, Mr Harris’ work is being lauded in a retrospective exhibit, featuring rarely-seen images of Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong and other enduring names.
Cutting up: Duke Ellington at the piano, with dancer Charles ‘Honi’ Coles and Billy Strayhorn looking on, in the Stanley Theatre, c 1942-1943
Side-by-side: An undated photo of Louis Armstrong and Ann Baker in a booth at Crawford Grill No 1 restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Icons: Eartha Kitt leaping though poster to launch a Citizens Committee on Hill District Renewal program, left, and Nina Simone holding cigarette and seated in chair c 1965, right
Star: Josephine Baker accepting a Hill City membership card from Leslie Powell, with George Fairley holding police badges honouring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and Howard McKinney. Unknown man in background, c 1951
Charming: Lena Horne standing next to cake inscribed ‘Greetings Lena Horne’, with Bill Nunn Sr on right, in Loendi Club, October 1944
Fanfare: Duke Ellington signing autographs in a crowd, including Isabella Marble, Marverine and Blanche Cathcart, c 1946-1947
Backstage: Singer and actor Ethel Waters in costume before she takes the stage, c 1940
All smiles: Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson seated with child on his knee, and surrounded by three other children, in Hill City, c 1940
All the right notes: Cozy Harris playing piano sheet music for ‘Mother of Mine,’ with cigar in his mouth, next to an unknown woman, c 1950-1955
Happy together: Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, Erroll Garner, Billy Eckstine, Maxine Sullivan and Mary Lou Williams gather around a piano in Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh for Night of Stars, August 7, 1946
Blow man, blow! Musicians gathered around Roy Eldridge playing trumpet, backstage of the Stanley Theatre, July 1941
No comments