African Americans have made extraordinary contributions to the history and culture of the United States as part of the nation and apart from it. This month, Auction Finds presents “28 days (Plus 1)” of this collaborative history. The additional day is intended to break Black history out of the stricture of a month into its rightful place as an equal partner in the history of America. Each day, I will offer artifacts culled from the auction tables and my research, along with the stories they hold.
Feb. 14, 2022
Lynn & Leslie, Constance Bannister’s African American babies
Leslie and Lynn McCartney were among the first African American babies photographed for an international date book by famed white photographer Constance Bannister. The books featured whimsical shots with cute captions that wowed parents for more than a decade.
Dorothy Height, then president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), was the impetus behind the 1962 calendar. She wrote in the foreword that it was published to help finance a memorial in Washington, DC, to honor Mary McLeod Bethune, African American educator, civil rights activist, and founder of the NCNW and Bethune-Cookman College (now university) in Daytona Beach, FL.
The council also wanted to erect a center to hold an archive featuring the contributions of African American women. A bronze memorial statue honoring Bethune was unveiled in the nation’s capital in 1974. Read the full story.
