William Earle Williams
Jamestown Island

Jamestown Island

© William Earle Williams

Jamestown Island
Jamestown Island
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Jamestown Island
  • from the series Unsung Heroes: African American Soldiers in the Civil War
Date1996
PlaceVirginia, United States
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 7 5/8 × 7 9/16 in. (19.4 × 19.2 cm)
Sheet: 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in. (25.2 × 20.2 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Photo Forum 2008
Object number2008.934
Non exposé

Explore Further

Department
Photography
Object Type
Description


As William Earle Williams explored the landscape of the Civil War, he observed a deficiency of historical markers—plaques, statues, monuments—commemorating the roles of African Americans. By photographing sites where Black soldiers were prominently involved, Williams counters historical narra­tives that sideline or omit the experiences of the more than 180,000 African Americans who participated in the conflict. Jamestown is one of the first sites where ships carrying enslaved Africans landed in the American colonies, and during the war, it housed a Confederate fort built by enslaved people. Williams’s photographs emphasize the important role landscapes play in shaping and reshaping collective memory and shifting historical narratives.



ProvenanceThe artist, Haverford, Pennsylvania; purchased by MFAH, 2008.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited: "Photo Forum 2008," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Lower Brown Corridor, September 24, 2008 - January 12, 2009.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Marked in pencil, verso lower left: "Jamestown / Island 1996"

Marked in pencil, verso lower lower edge: "Jamestown VA 1996 BGF 33f11 12 BTB 3 TPF82507 (?)"
Signed in pencil, verso lower center: "William Earle Williams"
Stamped, recto of sheet below image: "PHOTOGRAPH / BY / WILLIAM EARLE WILLIAMS / COPYRIGHT ©"

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

John Brown's Hanging Site, Charles Town, West Virginia
William Earle Williams
1999, printed 2008
Gelatin silver print
2008.397
Jefferson Davis Cell, Ft. Monroe, Virginia
William Earle Williams
2003, printed 2007
Gelatin silver print
2008.396
Keith Williams
1990
Gelatin silver print
94.574
Casey Williams
1982
Gelatin silver print with applied color
83.141
Casey Williams
1988
Gelatin silver print with applied color
88.421
Bob Green, Green Ranch, Albany, Texas
Rick Williams
June 1984
Gelatin silver print
85.70
Jerry Arnold, Clerk - City Grocery, Albany, Texas
Rick Williams
June 1984
Gelatin silver print
85.71
Roy Hurd Moore Cleaning Stable, Davis Ranch, Merkel, Texas
Rick Williams
July 1984
Gelatin silver print
85.65
Rounding Up Strays, Matador, Texas
Rick Williams
November 1982
Gelatin silver print
85.63
Bennie Peacock, Foreman - Green Ranch, Albany, Texas
Rick Williams
June 1984
Gelatin silver print
85.64