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African American Communities in America's Cities: Photographs by Camilo J. Vergara

Time Lapse Photographs

Camilo J. Vergara uses photography to “track time,” documenting how African American neighborhoods have changed. His time-lapse sequences track single locations in cities throughout the United States such as Chicago, Illinois, Newark, New Jersey, and Harlem and the South Bronx in New York.

Row houses in Newark, New Jersey

Photographed between 1980 and 2014, the intersection of New St. and Newark St. in University Heights, Newark was once home to the row houses pictured below. The first image shows the landlord standing outside the building. All of the photos are from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Apartment complex in South Bronx, New York

Shot between 1980 and 2013, this time-lapse sequence shows the intersection of Vyse Ave. and E 178th St. in South Bronx, New York. In the early 1990s, row houses were erected in a space previously occupied by a large brick apartment complex. All of the photos are from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

4344 W Madison St., Chicago, Illinois

Between 1981 and 2015, Vergara photographed 4344 W Madison St. in Chicago, Illinois. The building on this site was once home to the Holy Raiders Revival Church but is now occupied by the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Vergara's photos show how the building exterior changed over the course of 34 years. All of the photos are from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

The Lenox Lounge in Harlem, New York

Founded in Harlem, New York in 1939, the Lenox Lounge once hosted jazz greats such as Miles Davis and counted James Baldwin and Langston Hughes among its patrons. Due to an increase in rent, however, it closed on December 31st, 2012. All of the photos are from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

More Time Lapse Series

View more time lapse series through Camilo José Vergara Photographs - Tracking Time to Document America's Post-Industrial Cities.

All of the photos in this guide are from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. Camilo J. Vergara's photographs are used by permission of the photographer. For information on permissions and credit line, see the Camilo José Vergara Rights and Restrictions information page.