Jennie Louise Touissant Welcome facts for kids

Jennie Louise Touissant Welcome (born January 10, 1885 – died July 22, 1956) was an amazing African American artist. She was also known as Madame E. Toussaint Welcome. She created important photos and movies with her husband. Jennie was part of a special time called the Harlem Renaissance. She even called herself "the best female artist of her race." She is known as one of the very few African American women who made films during the silent movie era.

Jennie and her husband, Ernest Touissant Welcome, started their own art school, photo studio, and movie company. They made films and paintings about African American soldiers during World War I. One of their films was a 12-part documentary series called Doing Their Bit.

Early Life and Education

Jennie Van Der Zee was born in Lenox, Massachusetts. Her parents were John Van Der Zee and Susan Brister. Jennie went to Lenox High School. She also took private art and music lessons in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In the early 1900s, she moved to New York with her father and brothers. One of her brothers, James Van Der Zee, also became a famous photographer.

On January 10, 1910, Jennie married Ernest Touissant Welcome. He was an inventor and businessman. They moved into a brownstone building in New York City. There, they opened the Touissant Conservatory of Art and Music. This school offered lessons in art and music. Their first advertisement for the school was in The Crisis, a magazine from the NAACP. Jennie stood out because she was an African American woman who owned a business in Harlem.

Photography and Filmmaking Work

Jennie and her husband made films and pictures that showed the important contributions of African Americans in World War I. Their company, the Touissant Motion Picture Exchange, created the film Doing Their Bit in 1918.

Between 1917 and 1918, their company, The Touissant Pictorial Company, published a special book. It was called A Pictorial History of the Negro in the Great War. This book featured Jennie's artwork. It also included photos from the government and some other pictures. Many libraries still have copies of this important book.

The Touissant Pictorial Company also printed one million patriotic postcards. These postcards showed African American soldiers. After the war ended, Jennie's painting, Charge of the Colored Divisions, was chosen to be a poster. The War Savings Stamp Committee used it to encourage people to support the war effort. Jennie and her husband officially protected their artwork with a copyright in August 1918. Sadly, no physical copies of this poster are known to exist today.

Later Life and Legacy

Jennie Louise Touissant Welcome passed away in 1956. She left behind a legacy as a pioneering African American artist and filmmaker. Her work helped to highlight the contributions of African Americans during a significant period in history.

See also

In Spanish: Madame E. Toussaint Welcome para niños