African Americans of Tucson
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African Americans of Tucson
This exhibit showcases photographs from two significant collections that document the lives of African Americans in Tucson over nearly 100 years: the Buehman Studio collection and the African American History Internship Project.
In the late 19th century, Henry Buehman was the premier studio photographer in Tucson. With powerful social connections and refined techniques, Buehman photographed a large swath of the Tucson population; in addition to covering local places, businesses, and events. Many of the earliest African Americans who lived in Tucson also had their portraits taken by Buehman, dressing in their finest clothing to be photographed at his downtown studio.
Nearly one hundred years later, the African American History Internship Project (AAHIP) was sparked in 1987 after several community members expressed concerns over the lack of representation of Black Arizonans at the Arizona Historical Society.
Together with Pima Community College and interested community members, AHS recruited interns and volunteers to collect photographs and oral histories that document the contributions of African Americans in Tucson’s history. Dr. Harry Lawson compiled much of this material into a 2 volume book called The History of African Americans in Tucson: an Afrocentric Perspective.
The AAHIP photographs in this exhibit were collected from community members between 1987 and 1994 and document the contributions of African Americans in the community in Tucson between 1853 and the 1990s.