Bieze, Michael. (2008). Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation. Reviewed by Margie Ruppel, University of Southern Indiana

Bieze, Michael. (2008). Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation. NY: Peter Lang Publishing Pp. viii + 285         ISBN 978-1-4331-0010-9 Reviewed by Margie Ruppel University of Southern Indiana April 23, 2009 In Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation, Michael Bieze uses photographs and other primary sources to show that Booker T. Washington strategically used photography in order to appeal to diverse audiences in Post-Reconstruction America. Bieze’s secondary goal is to shed light on the overlooked role of aesthetics at Tuskegee Institute, and highlight the fact that Washington was incorrectly seen as an impediment to black art due to his association with industrial education. In addition to eighty-five photographs and illustrations, Bieze utilizes numerous newspaper and journal articles from the period, and personal correspondence between Washington and his contemporaries. This book is part of Peter Lang Publishing’s History of Schools & Schooling series. The author’s extensive knowledge of photography, history, and education are derived from his B.F.A. in Studio Art, M.F.A. in Art History, and Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies. Biezecombines aspects from many disciplines to write about photography in Washington’s era. He states, “My goal is to extend historical biography by drawing upon educational biography, narrative inquiry, art history, history of photography, and semeiotics to create a provisional model for telling a life story in pictures- a visual biography” (10). Washington’s used photography to (1) promote the Tuskegee Institute, (2) advance his ideology, (3) obtain financial support from whites, and (4) create his image as a national leader and cultured member of society. In chapter two, Bieze analyzes specific illustrations and draws a distinction between the 1893-1900 time period, in which Washington developed from a self-made man into an American celebrity, and the 1901-1915 time period, during which he had learned to carefully control the media’s image of him. The timing was ideal, Bieze explains, because during this period, “the mass media exploded with illustrated journals hungry for stories with pictures, and photography would render engraved designs obsolete” (56). Washington capitalized on the popularity of photography and the public’s appetite for illustrated stories by hiring both an in-house photographer and a photographer for outside work. The ways in which Washington was portrayed in photography changed during his lifetime because he devised ways to present himself to different audiences. For this reason, Bieze describes Washington’s “secret life” in the first chapter. Washington assumed many roles, but was also perceived many ways by the public: principal, doctor, professor, farmer, scholar, leader, family man, intellectual, preacher, the “Moses of his people”, the “Ben Franklin of his people”, the “Wizard of Tuskegee,” and heir to the line of power from Frederick Douglass (20). Bieze first learned of the “secret life” theme from Louis Harlan, a Washington biographer. Washington’s roles are represented in the photographs and illustrations at end of the book, including photographs used in autobiographies, biographies, writings, postcards, paintings, sketches, articles, posters, buttons, lithographs, and stereographic cards. Stereographic cards, a double set of photographs meant to produce three-dimensional images when viewed through a stereoscope, contained both stereotypical and positive images of blacks during this time period. Figure 13 presents two stereographic cards, one shows Washington in a nice suit and hat, and the other shows two blacks stealing watermelons. Another figure shows an example of the “before and after” photographs used by Tuskegee Institute for fund-raising. The “before” photo shows a black male in a slumped standing pose who has just arrived at Tuskegee, carrying an old suitcase and wearing tattered clothing. The “after” photo shows “the finished product” of a Tuskegee Institute education: two well-dressed, upstanding citizens, a male in a military uniform, and a female in a dress and hat. Washington was the first African-American to reach celebrity status through mass media, which he used to appeal to multiple audiences. Washington chose passive poses in photographs made for white audiences, while he was doing something active in photographs meant for black audiences. He used passivity to depict himself as a non-threatening, dignified public leader in photographs for white audiences. For example, Figure 58 shows Washington as a “gentleman farmer,” feeding chickens at Tuskegee Institute. Active poses were chosen for black audiences in order to counter the prevailing images of African-Americans as uneducated, lacy, poor, sexualized, content fools without social manners. A photograph from Figure 44, for example, shows Washington speaking with much spirit to a large audience in Louisiana. Progressive Era whites would have not have supported a black revolutionary, but they were comfortable with images of blacks who had attained material and spiritual progress: “Philanthropists sent Washington money, offered advice, and used their influence because he seemed to be one of them without demanding to be one of them” (123). Washington succeeded in using different photographic images for black and white audiences in part because the two groups did not usually live in the same geographic area or read the same publications. Chapter four expands on the specific audiences Washington targeted with photography: white elites, the rising black middle class, and the black masses. In the book, Bieze states that “Washington appears to have understood that racism is aesthetic, and his solution was to counter demeaning images with positive examples while secretly developing the aesthetic of the New Negro” (127). Washington also wrote articles and autobiographies targeted at different audiences. In addition to discussing the psychology behind Washington’s use of photography, Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation draws attention to relevant social characteristics of the Progressive Era. Between 1901 and 1915, when Washington controlled the media’s use of his image, photographs began to be used as scientific documentation, trial evidence, evidence in the media, a vehicle for celebrity status, and a record of history. Bieze tells his readers to remember that photographs could also be misused “because of the way they so easily seem to convince viewers of facts without challenge,” and gives ten guidelines for using photographs as historical evidence (34). New social sciences such as anthropology, education, criminology, social work, and history were developing during this time period. Bieze also discusses the connection between Tuskegee Institute curriculum and John Ruskin’s philosophy of combining labor, art, and beauty for societal improvement. The book concludes with notes, a bibliography, and an index. Booker T. Washington and the Art of Self-Representation is a unique publication because it combines elements of media studies, art, and history to describe Booker T. Washington’s knowledge of blending psychology and photography in order to reach diverse audiences. This reviewer is most impressed with the depth of analysis Bieze employs throughout the book, and his selection of illustrations. High school teachers and college professors will find creative uses for Bieze’s book in teaching photography, media studies and marketing, and American history topics such as post-Reconstruction, African-Americans and the Progressive Era. Highly recommended for libraries at academic institutions serving education, history, and media studies programs. About the Reviewer Margie Ruppel is the Reference & Interlibrary Loan Librarian at the University of Southern Indiana, where she focuses on information literacy skills for education and social work researchers, reference, outreach, and interlibrary loan. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University. She writes book reviews for many publications and has published articles about Google Scholar, instant messaging reference, usability studies, and library instruction.