Carnegie Museum of Art invites you to visit our dedicated gallery consisting of works by photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, In Sharp Focus: Charles “Teenie” Harris. This exhibition features iconic examples of Harris’s photographs and hosts educational programs and community events inspired by Harris’s world-renowned archive. Due to gallery renovations, this exhibition is temporarily being shown in the Theater Hallway.
Harris—who was a photographer for The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s most influential black newspapers—created an unparalleled chronicle of African American history and culture during the mid-20th century. As both a member and documentarian of the Black community, Harris remains an iconic figure in Pittsburgh to this day. With this installation, the museum celebrates Harris’s legacy and welcomes opportunities for creative collaboration with local partners.
In Sharp Focus: Charles “Teenie” Harris is organized by Dominique Luster, archivist, and Charlene Foggie-Barnett, community archivist, Teenie Harris Archive.
About the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive
Charles “Teenie” Harris (1908–1998) photographed Pittsburgh’s African American community from ca. 1935 to ca. 1975. His archive of more than 70,000 images is one of the most detailed and intimate records of the Black experience known today. Purchased by Carnegie Museum of Art in 2001, the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive was established to preserve Harris’s important photographic work for future generations. Thanks to the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Carnegie Museum of Art has digitized more than 70,000 of Harris’s negatives, and the collection is available to browse online.
