The Harlem Renaissance: 41 Images Of When New York Was The Capital Of Black America

Published October 6, 2016
Updated April 30, 2025

Take a photographic tour of the Harlem Renaissance, when Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, and W.E.B. DuBois revitalized Black America.

In the early twentieth century, Harlem was primed to become the hub of New York’s African American community. Abandoned by the white middle class in the late 1800s, the revitalized neighborhood was a safe haven for those escaping the south during the Great Migration, a destination for black immigrants, and a magnet for African American intellectuals.

Writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston began their careers in Harlem’s vibrant literary community. Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, and Louis Armstrong performed in Harlem’s jazz clubs where patrons first created swing dance. And most importantly, the area allowed black culture and entrepreneurship to thrive in a society dogged by virulent racism.

Today, we look at 41 images that capture the Harlem Renaissance in full force:

Lenox Ave
369th Infantry
Web Dubois
Silent Parade
The Harlem Renaissance: 41 Images Of When New York Was The Capital Of Black America
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Next, check out our galleries on Harlem in the 1970s and the greatest Maya Angelou quotes.

author
Elisabeth Sherman
author
Elisabeth Sherman is a writer living in Jersey City, New Jersey. She holds a Master's in writing from Columbia University, and her work has appeared in Food & Wine, The Guardian, Yahoo, BBC, HuffPost, VICE, MSN, and Vulture.
editor
Jaclyn Anglis
editor
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Jaclyn Anglis is the senior managing editor at All That's Interesting, where she has worked since 2019. She holds a Master's degree in journalism from the City University of New York and a dual Bachelor's degree in English writing and history from DePauw University. In a career that spans 11 years, she has also worked with the New York Daily News, Bustle, and Bauer Xcel Media. Her interests include American history, true crime, modern history, and science.
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Sherman, Elisabeth. "The Harlem Renaissance: 41 Images Of When New York Was The Capital Of Black America." AllThatsInteresting.com, October 6, 2016, https://allthatsinteresting.com/harlem-renaissance. Accessed August 10, 2025.