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Small group of vintage photographs associated with Harlem numbers figures Stephanie St. Clair and Ellsworth ‘Bumpy’ Johnson. Several photographs bear contemporary pencil identifications on the reverse naming "Stephanie St. Clair" or "Bumpy Johnson," although the identities of the subjects have not been independently authenticated. The balance of the group consists of additional period portraits and candid photographs of African American men, women, and children, including several individuals whose facial features appear consistent with those of St. Clair and Johnson. Given the scarcity of authenticated photographs of both St. Clair and Johnson, particularly from their youth and early adulthood, and the informal nature of several images, the identities of many of the subjects cannot be conclusively determined. In overall very good to fine condition.
According to the consignor, the group was acquired from a Chicago dealer who represented it as having descended through the family of either Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson or Stephanie St. Clair. Although that provenance has not been independently verified, the lot is accompanied by the consignor's supporting correspondence, research, and reference material, including the book Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth ‘Bumpy’ Johnson by Mayme Johnson and Karen E. Quinones Miller and an issue of Don Diva magazine with a special section devoted to Bumpy Johnson.
