Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North

Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North offers a new window onto Black representation in a region that is often overlooked in narratives of early African American history. It is conceived as a corrective to histories that define slavery and anti-Black racism as a largely Southern issue.

With 125 works including paintings, needlework, and photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to focus on figures who appear in—or are omitted from—early American images. It challenges conventional narratives that have minimized early Black histories in the North, revealing the complexities and contradictions of the region’s history between the late 1600s and early 1800s.  

Highlights of the exhibitions and curators’ tours are available on Bloomberg Connects.

A 300-page scholarly book with contributions from Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, Jennifer Van Horn, and several authors, is available for purchase. Please learn more about the book here.