Smiling man -- CARLI Digital Collections Featured Image

This photo comes from a collection that has not yet been featured on the CARLI website as part of the bi-monthly featured image posts, and I thought it was time to correct that. “Struggle and Progress-African Americans in Knox County, Illinois” is a fascinating and eclectic collection of photographs, newspapers, letters, documents and interviews that form a picture of the African-American community in and around Galesburg, IL from the late 19th century through the early twentieth century.

Although the collection includes dozens of intriguing photographs, I love this casually posed portrait of a fashionably dressed man. The photo is dated c.1900-1910 and the man is tentatively identified as Ed Allen, the owner of a clothing store in Galesburg at the time. This photo would not be out of place today on a street fashion photography blog like The Sartorialist or the street portraiture of Humans of New York. Mr. Allen smiles with genuine mirth. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he looks like he’s just stopped on the street to talk to a friend. I wish, in the style of Humans of New York, we knew more about his story. But, you can learn much about the lives and struggles of African-Americans in Galesburg in this unique and valuable collection, so I encourage you to browse the other photos and documents.

Written by Alice Creason, Head of Library Technology & Technical Services at Lewis University