Medic soldier with cross arm band and flag, seated on duffel bag, c. 1930-1950, Carnegie Museum of Art, Heinz Family Fund by Charles Teenie Harris

Charles "Teenie" Harris, Medic soldier with cross arm band and flag, seated on duffel bag, c. 1930-1950, Carnegie Museum of Art, Heinz Family Fund

Teenie Harris Photographs: Service and Sacrifice

Museum of Art Lobby

During World War II, Charles “Teenie” Harris documented thousands of African American soldiers who fought for a nation that didn’t always fight for them. Separated by years of Army service, Master Sergeant Eugene Boyer Jr. and former Staff Sergeant Lance A. Woods have selected 25 Harris images that speak to their experiences—the honor of military service, and the sacrifices that the families of service members make.

Teenie Harris was one of the great photographers of the 20th century, and his body of work stands as one of the most detailed records of the black urban experience. His photographs of service members, as well as of efforts on the home front, tell stories of black soldiers fighting for the American promise of civil liberties, and the opportunity for a better future.

Teenie Harris Photographs: Service and Sacrifice is guest-curated by Eugene Boyer Jr. and Lance A. Woods, in collaboration with Dominique Luster, Teenie Harris Archivist.