Gratitude | Black Women in Photo Booths (1920s-1970s)

I love photo booths.

I’m convinced that there’s no better photo than one in which you’re squished into a small box, smiling at a too-close camera. When you’re inside a photo booth, all background blurs and the joy of scrambling to find a suitable pose is all-encompassing. My favorite photos, though, are the ones that are entirely candid — maybe you’re mid-adjustment or caught in the middle of a sentence. There’s nothing but you, the camera, the click of the shutter, and a sense of wonder.

I’ve missed that ever-fleeting, photo booth magic. The last time I remember being in a photo booth was at our wedding reception. Jeremiah and I piled into the booth on the rooftop of Ponce City Market, and giddily held our rings toward the camera. That was in June of 2019.* When this pandemic eventually, finally ends, I know that one of my first celebratory stops is going to be a photo booth.

Today, as an ode to photo booths and Women’s History Month, I put together this collage of black women in photo booths. I sourced these from around the web and they range from the 1920s to the 1970s.

My favorite is the one in the middle of the top row. What’s yours?

*Actually, I realized after writing this that I went into a photo booth with my bff, Andy, in the summer of 2020. We’d gone to get tattoos and the parlor had a booth toward the back. Yes, this was very risky, unsafe, and unwise during COVID-19. Thankfully, I’ve since learned about the dangers of going anywhere public, even if it’s an appointment-only, mask required parlor, and adjusted my behavior accordingly.