The Black House
Photograph
1973-1976 (photographed), 2012 (printed)
1973-1976 (photographed), 2012 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
From 1973-1976 British photographer Colin Jones (born 1936) documented life inside the Islington-based Harambee housing project for young black people. Jones originally compiled the series for a Sunday Times Magazine article, and controversially titled it 'The Black House', recalling the name the refuge was known by in the media and local community. The house was given this name because of its close proximity to an infamous Black Power commune also called the Black House, led by the British black revolutionary Michael de Freitas or ‘Michael X’ from 1969 to 1970. Jones was looking to play on the negative associations with black power and youth delinquency that the label of ‘The Black House’ suggested. His images instead present youth alienation in the black community as a direct result of these stereotypes.
The V&A acquired three of Jone’s historic photographs from The Black House series as part of the Staying Power project. A photograph by Dennis Morris depicting the original Black House associated with Michael X was also acquired as part of the project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
The V&A acquired three of Jone’s historic photographs from The Black House series as part of the Staying Power project. A photograph by Dennis Morris depicting the original Black House associated with Michael X was also acquired as part of the project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Black House (series title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gelatin silver print. Jones typically used a Leica with a Summicron 35mm f/2 lens to take his photographs for 'The Black House' series. He did not use a meter or any artificial light to create the images. Using minimal equipment like this was less invasive for the people he was photographing. |
| Brief description | Photograph by Colin Jones from the series The Black House, gelatin silver print, London, 1973-76, printed 2012 |
| Physical description | A black and white photograph of a young black couple sitting behind a table. The young woman wears a high-neck wedding dress and a veil, while the young man wears a suit with a tie and a trilby hat. On the table there is a vase of flowers, a wedding cake and five bottles that look like alcoholic spirits and champagne. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Signed and inscribed by artist on verso in pencil, certified and stamped by Autograph ABP verso) |
| Credit line | Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund |
| Object history | The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Places depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | From 1973-1976 British photographer Colin Jones (born 1936) documented life inside the Islington-based Harambee housing project for young black people. Jones originally compiled the series for a Sunday Times Magazine article, and controversially titled it 'The Black House', recalling the name the refuge was known by in the media and local community. The house was given this name because of its close proximity to an infamous Black Power commune also called the Black House, led by the British black revolutionary Michael de Freitas or ‘Michael X’ from 1969 to 1970. Jones was looking to play on the negative associations with black power and youth delinquency that the label of ‘The Black House’ suggested. His images instead present youth alienation in the black community as a direct result of these stereotypes. The V&A acquired three of Jone’s historic photographs from The Black House series as part of the Staying Power project. A photograph by Dennis Morris depicting the original Black House associated with Michael X was also acquired as part of the project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic reference | Jones, C., The Black House (Munich: Prestel, 2006), illustrated, unpaginated |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.302-2013 |
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| Record created | February 7, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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