Portrait of an Elderly Gentleman
Photograph
Lewis Latimer’s friend Richard T. Greener, the first African American to graduate from Harvard College, was a diplomat, scholar, and fellow civil rights activist. His daughter, Belle da Costa Greene, became the banker J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian and the first director of the Morgan Library. A vintage carte de visite (CDV) photograph featuring Greener dressed in a formal suit, waistcoat, and tie, topped with a bowler or derby-style hat. The subject has a well-groomed mustache and beard, exuding an air of wisdom and dignity. The photograph is mounted on a square card with beveled edges and is displayed in a rotated diamond orientation.
Carte de visite photographs were a popular form of portrait photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were small, collectible images that individuals exchanged or kept as keepsakes. The back of this card features a handwritten inscription, "How do ‘old man,’" and the name "R. T. Greener.," The photograph was taken at ORLO Photography Studio, located at 311 Eighth Ave, New York. The card was probably a gift mailed by Greener to Lewis Latimer.
The Lewis H. Latimer Papers (1870-1929, 1972) [QPL Subgroup]Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]
Printed Text: "ORLO, Photographer." "311 Eighth Ave., New York." Handwritten Inscription: "How do ‘old man’" "R. T. Greener."