Through the Lens of Time
VCU Libraries has an online collection of almost 300 photographs of Richmond and Central Virginia African-Americans dating from the late 19th and early 20th century available at Through the Lens of Time: Images of African-Americans from the Cook Collection. These images are a small set from the George and Heustis Cook Collection held by the Valentine Richmond History Center. The collection run from outdoor scenes at prominent Richmond landmarks to posed studio photographs designed to reinforce negative African-American stereotypes. The father-and-son Cook photographers were one of the most active in Richmond in the first quarter of the 20th century.
--Curtis Lyons, Head, Special Collections and Archives.