Carl Van Vechten

Born June 17, 1880, Carl Van Vechten was an American arts critic, author, and photographer. After graduating from the University of Chicago in 1903, Vechten worked as an assistant music critic for The New York Times, then as the paper's Paris correspondent. An influential figure of New York City, he was an early enthusiast and supporter of Black American culture. He photographed many figures at the center of the Harlem Renaissance.

Van Vechten is known for his novels Peter Whiffle, His Life and Works (1922) and The Tattooed Countess (1924) and his autobiography, Sacred and Profane Memories (1932).