Black Intellectual and LGBTQ Cultural History. Intimate Photographs of James Baldwin in Private Domestic Setting in Southern France

James Baldwin

Publication Date: 1985

About this Item

James Baldwin photographed in his residence at Saint Paul de Vence, France, circa 1985 documents the later life of one of the most influential American writers and civil rights intellectuals of the twentieth century. Baldwin's essays, novels, and public lectures addressed racial inequality, sexuality, and the moral contradictions of American democracy, and by the 1970s and 1980s he had established a long term residence in southern France where he continued to write and host visiting artists, activists, and scholars. These photographs depict Baldwin in informal domestic moments late in his life, offering visual evidence of the private environment in which he lived and worked during the final decade of his career. Henderson, Shawn. Photographs of James Baldwin, Saint Paul de Vence, France, circa 1985. Pair of black and white photographs measuring approximately 4 x 6 inches depicting Baldwin inside his residence. In one image Baldwin sits wearing a cap, heavy coat, and plaid scarf with framed photographs and artwork visible behind him, suggesting the interior setting of his home and personal surroundings. The second photograph shows Baldwin reclining on a bed wearing a white tank top, looking directly toward the camera while resting a hand on a newspaper. The photographer Shawn Henderson, a close companion of Baldwin during the mid 1980s, reportedly lived with the writer in Saint Paul de Vence during this period. During the later decades of his life Baldwin spent significant time in France while continuing to publish essays and commentary addressing race relations, international politics, and the cultural legacy of the civil rights movement. His home in Saint Paul de Vence became a gathering place for writers and intellectuals visiting Europe and remained closely associated with his later work and personal life. Photographs taken within this private domestic setting therefore provide uncommon visual documentation of Baldwin outside the public settings in which he was most often photographed. Two silver gelatin photographs measuring approximately 4 x 6 inches. Light handling wear with strong image clarity; overall very good condition. The photographs preserve intimate late life portraits of a major figure in twentieth century American literature and civil rights thought.

Seller Inventory # 21644

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Black Intellectual and LGBTQ Cultural History. Intimate Photographs of James Baldwin in Private Domestic Setting in Southern France
• Publication Date: 1985
• Seller catalogs:
  • Literature & Literary Archives
  • LGBTQ+ History
  • African American History