Elise Forrest Harleston facts for kids

Elise Forrest Harleston (born February 8, 1891 – died 1970) was a very important photographer. She was the first African-American woman photographer in South Carolina. She was also one of the first Black female photographers in the whole United States.

Elise Beatrice Forrest was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Her parents were Elvira Moorer and Augustus Forrest. Her father worked as an accountant. Elise later married a talented African-American painter named Edwin Augustus Harleston. After they married, she became Elise Forrest Harleston.

Becoming a Photographer

Elise and Edwin met in Charleston, South Carolina in 1913. Elise was 22 years old at the time. Both Elise and Edwin had gone to the Avery Normal Institute. This was a private school for Black young people. Elise graduated from Avery in 1910.

Early Work and Dreams

After graduating, Elise worked as a teacher in South Carolina. At that time, African Americans were not allowed to work in public schools in Charleston. So, Elise taught in rural areas. She soon returned to Charleston and worked as a seamstress.

Edwin wanted to learn more about painting. He planned to study art abroad. But he had money problems and had to come home. He worked for his family's funeral business. In 1916, Edwin went to New York to study embalming. Elise wanted to stay close to him. She found a job teaching students in Long Island.

When they both came back home, Edwin encouraged Elise to go to photography school. Their families did not agree with this idea. But Edwin and Elise wanted to get married and open a studio together.

Studying Photography

In 1919, Elise went to New York City. She enrolled at the E. Brunel School of Photography. Elise was one of only two African-American students there. She was also the only female student.

Elise and Edwin got married on September 15, 1920. With Edwin's support, Elise then went to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1921. There, she took advanced classes with C.M. Battey. He was the head of the Photography Division.

Under his teaching, Elise became part of an art group. This group worked to change unfair ideas about African Americans. Her photos showed the spirit of the "New Negro" movement. This movement celebrated Black culture and identity.

Harleston Studio

Soon, Edwin and Elise returned to Charleston. In 1922, Edwin decided he no longer wanted to work in the funeral business. He planned to open a photography and painting studio with Elise.

In the spring of 1922, they opened Harleston Studio. It was located at 118 Calhoun Street in Charleston. Their studio was open from 1922 to 1932.

At the studio, Elise took and sold many portraits. She often photographed Charleston's Black street vendors. Edwin was the painter, and Elise was the photographer. Edwin often painted from Elise's photographs. This saved his clients many hours of sitting still for him. Even so, Edwin often received more credit for the studio's work than Elise did.

Family Life

Edwin and Elise did not have their own children. But they raised Edwin’s niece, Edwina “Gussie” Augusta Harleston Whitlock. Edwina's parents had both been ill. They also took in another child named Doris.

Showcased Work

Aaron Douglas worked with Edwin to create large paintings called murals. These murals are displayed at Fisk University.

Two of Elise's black-and-white photographs were shown in a big international art show. This was in 1996. The show was called "A History of Women Photographers." Her photos were displayed at the New York Public Library. This was the first time Elise's work was shown outside of South Carolina.

Life After Edwin

Edwin Harleston became very sick and died in 1931 from pneumonia. After his death, Elise closed their studio. She remarried within a year to a schoolteacher named John J. Wheeler.

Elise moved to Baltimore, then to Chicago. Finally, she moved to Southern California. She lived there until she passed away in 1970 from a health issue. Her great-niece, Mae Whitlock Gentry, said that Elise never talked about her time with Edwin or her work as a photographer.

After Elise Harleston's death in 1970, her family found many of Edwin's letters. They also found almost two dozen glass plate negatives that Elise had saved. Many of her important papers are now kept at Emory University's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.