W.E.B. Du Bois Collection: Creating Photo Lift Outs for Impactful Lessons

W.E.B. Du Bois’ Portraits at the Paris World Fair  

Lift out of African American women seated on steps of Atlanta University, Georgia 1899/1900 - Photo from Library of Congress

W.E.B. Du Bois curated a striking collection of portraits for the Exposition Universelle, the Paris World Fair of 1900. This collection carried a powerful message, showcasing Americans - many of them college students - who pursued their dreams despite the formidable pressures of race and discrimination. 

Lift out of Senior preparatory class of Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., before 1906. Photo from Library of Congress

Emphasizing with Lift Outs

I introduce this collection from the Library of Congress to educators by using "lift outs" placed over primary source images I have added to Keynote. Lift outs are a powerful technique for emphasizing specific parts of a story or highlighting elements within primary sources. 

The iPad User Guide provides a step by step to easily subtract (lift out) a subject from its background. Below is a screen recording I did of the lift out process on one of the W.E.B Dubois Collection portraits. By placing the "lifted out" image over its original primary source (examples above), learners can individualize and emphasize parts of the story, deepening the impact on learning.

1. Touch and hold the subject of an image you have added to Photos or selected on the Web using Safari, until an outline appears around the subject.
2. Select Copy
3. Paste the lift out over another primary source image you have added to Keynote.

Example of lifting out a photo. Image, Library of Congress

Data Visualization

Du Bois’ exhibit at the Paris World Fair not only displayed photographs, literature, and pamphlets by Black authors but also featured powerful and uniquely designed data visualizations. These carefully drawn and colorful charts detailed the disparities and impact of unequal opportunities for Black Americans. 

Data Visualization Graphs from the W.E.B. Du Bois Collection - Library of Congress

Connecting Portraits with Data

 When learners combine lift out images with data representations, they create a compelling narrative which personalizes the statistics. Just as Du Bois’ famous exhibit highlighted Black excellence and perseverance in challenging times, students can explore historical portraits and create their own collages to celebrate the accomplishments, strengths, and goals of those around them.

In these two examples “lift outs” are created from portraits in the W.E.B Du Bois Collection and placed over statistical charts from the same exhibit, personalizing the data.

In academic settings, I sometimes think that educators don't have time for projects, challenges, or media creation because they need to cover the required material. However, giving students the opportunity to engage deeply with a primary source and express their own thoughts through art or creative projects encourages them to explore more about a concept. This approach not only deepens their understanding but also fosters curiosity and critical thinking. Creative activities can facilitate impactful learning. #everyonecancreate

References

Links to above primary sources -the historic titles were assigned by the Library of Congress in line with the vocabulary of the times.

• Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia
• Senior preparatory class of Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., before 1906
• African American woman, half-length portrait, facing right
• Proportion of freemen and slaves among American Negroes
• African American man, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing right
• Assessed valuation of of all taxable property owned by Georgia Negroes.
• City and Rural Population 1990
• Income and expenditure of 150 Negro families in Atlanta, Ga., U.S.A. 1900
• Occupations of Negroes and whites in Georgia. 1900

More lesson ideas (from me) on W.E.B. Du Bois in the Apple Education Community:

• The Resilient Faces of Black History - Book Creation for Heritage Months
• Creating History Exhibits