Skip to main content

Harlem Dancers

Elizabeth Olds; Works Progress Administration

Artwork Details

Harlem Dancers
1939
Elizabeth Olds; Works Progress Administration
woodcut on paper
10 1/16 in x 14 ⅛ in (25.56 cm x 35.88 cm)
Allocated by the U.S. Government Commissioned through the New Deal art projects
1943.100

Description

Subject Matter:

Elizabeth Olds worked for the Graphic Arts Division of the Federal Arts Program in New York City from 1935-1940. The program was one of the many Works Progress Administration Initiatives to support artists during the Great Depression. Interested in racial injustice, Olds produced several prints of primarily African Americans participating in cultural events like dances. This woodcut shows young men and women, possibly doing the jitterbug, which was a new and popular dance at the time.

Physical Description:

Seven figures wearing brightly colored clothes dance together in a room.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.