Louise Jefferson papers

The Louise E. Jefferson papers contain a wide variety of Jefferson’s artistic works including drawings and designs. Additionally, the papers cover decades worth of correspondence, and perhaps most notably, hundreds of photographs from around the world. The bulk of the photographs are from Jefferson’s trips to Africa in the 1960s and 1970s, and over a dozen African countries are represented in the collection. Besides her professional photographs, the collection also contains hundreds of snapshots from Africa, Europe, and the United States.

Jefferson’s trips to Africa ultimately led to the completion of her most ambitious project; her book entitled The Decorative Arts of Africa (1973). The book was over a decade in the making, and it featured Jefferson’s own drawings and photographs captured while visiting the continent. The Decorative Arts of Africa aims to be a visual aid for those interested in the culture and customs of native Africans.

Jefferson made a name for herself as an artistic director for a major publishing house Friendship Press, in a time when women, especially African American women, were not allowed or expected to reach such a high rank. Jefferson owed her success to her work ethic, and her seemingly endless supply of creative energy. The papers reflect this dedication with over sixty years of personal and professional artistic work. In addition to artwork, the collection offers correspondence, financial matters, negatives and slides, and a healthy amount of ephemera gathered over the years.

The papers offer a unique glimpse of the 20^th century, as seen from the perspective of a creatively gifted African American woman.