Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation (History of Schools and Schooling) [Paperback]

Michael Bieze (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2008 | ISBN-10: 143310010X | ISBN-13: 978-1433100109

Booker T. Washington embraced photography as the artistic medium to represent himself and Tuskegee Institute because it was economical, technical, utilitarian, and aesthetic: an apt form for a man who preached a gospel of thrift, industry, self-sufficiency, and beauty. Advancements in photography at the end of the nineteenth century allowed Washington to be simultaneously better known and more elusive—an international celebrity with a multitude of identities. This book examines how initially, Washington cultivated a picture of Victorian grace to appeal to elite white America’s policy of gradual reform, and images of the economic and cultural results of Tuskegee’s industrial curriculum became publicity photographs. But in the last decade of his life, he shed the passivity he had presented to the white world, speaking directly to black audiences through the cameras of black photographers, and challenging racist popular culture by visually demonstrating social and cultural equality. Washington should be credited with not only launching the careers of several black photographers but also with establishing the early aesthetic of the New Negro. From 1895-1915, Washington was the central figure in African-American culture, supporting black artists telling black stories in the contemporary Victorian aesthetic, and showing how blacks could equal whites artistically and culturally

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Bieze is nothing short of brilliant in this lucid, succinct, and smart take on the life and carefully constructed public image of Booker T. Washington. Bieze uses visual and literary documents with archeological precision and insight to unearth the multivalent persona of Washington, and to reveal the historic educator as almost Machiavellian in his capacity to shape and reshape his own image for disparate patrons and public. For scholars and students of American and African-American history, photography, and art, Bieze’s revelatory book is a must read!" —Lisa Farrington, Professor, Parsons School of Design; Cosby Scholar-in-Residence, Spelman College

"Booker T. Washington is one of the most misunderstood individuals in American history. Few people actually read his work before making judgments as to the kind of leader he was and as a result, he has been labeled an "Uncle Tom", an accommodationist, and worse. Michael Bieze has written, in my opinion, the best book on Booker T. Washington in the past 25 years. Not only is Bieze a beautiful writer but he provides a nuanced portrayal of Washington, showing how the man changed over time from someone who sometimes kowtowed to Whites to a man who took the world stage as "a social critic, a champion of the downtrodden, and a man of his people." —Marybeth Gasman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Higher Education, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Michael Bieze has a BFA in Studio Art, an MFA in Art History, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies. He has been the chair of the Fine Arts Department at Marist School in Atlanta for over twenty years, teaching art history and studio art. For many years he has been involved with the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Art History program , working on the AP Examination and conducting workshops for high school teachers around the country. His research on Booker T. Washington and the visual arts has appeared in articles and been presented at several conferences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 293 pages
• Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing (February 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143310010X
• ISBN-13: 978-1433100109
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,772,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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