Between the Covers

Hardcover. Oblong folio measuring 12.5" x 10". Screw bound decorative cloth. Contains 214 color photographs measuring between 2" x 2.75" and 5" x 7" with some captions, as well as one letter and a printed flyer. Near fine album with a tear on the front board and some rubbing with near fine photographs.

A photo album kept by an African-American couple, J. Anthony Sprow and his wife Merle, between 1976 and 1985 many of which are Kodak prints. The photos take place primarily in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Massachusetts while J. Anthony, captioned here either as John or Tony, was completing his MBA at Harvard. The Sprows were from Virginia and visited often when John was on school breaks. These photos show picnics, baseball games, and volleyball games as well as candids of family members. The couple went to parties, one flyer here is for Merle’s going away party when she went to Massachusetts with John, and enjoyed the company of their families. Merle had spent 13 years working for the government with the Division of Adult Education beginning in 1969. A letter dated June 1976 written by Merle tells of her resigning from her job, presumably to follow John to Harvard where he would continue his studies. One photo shows John with his head on his desk as if he's studied too much, another shows him posing on the grounds of the University in his Harvard t-shirt. In 1978 John completed his degree and photos of his graduation ceremony are seen here. Other photos include the couple goofing off during a snow storm, buying a new Mercedes, and various trips the couple took including beach photos. After Massachusetts John and Merle moved back to Virginia where John took a job helping develop, package, and finance “large scale infrastructure projects in numerous energy markets” which involved rethinking old views of operating an energy company.

An interesting collection of late 1970s Kodak photography of an African-American couple.

Item #406508