We will examine and contextualize the business they built starting in the 1920s, Valmor, that developed and sold cosmetics for African-Americans. We will then look at the collection of modern and contemporary art that the family has developed over four generations. We will draw on archival material, visits with the Neumann family, and interviews with experts on collecting, the Neumanns, and related aspects of the history. Projects for the course will include research documents as well as multimedia presentations.
Instructors:
Peter Decherney
Gwendolyn Shaw