Unidentified group of women smelling flowers, undated

Source: Mabel Vernon Alford Collection
Creator: Unknown
Title: Unidentified group of women smelling flowers, undated
Date: c. 1917-1923
Description: Sepia-toned photograph of a group of young women gathered around a flowering bush, smiling and smelling the blossoms. The women lean over the flowers and appear relaxed and playful, suggesting a candid moment captured outdoors beside a brick building. Their hairstyles and clothing—loose dresses, jackets, and waved or bobbed hair—reflect early twentieth-century fashion.

The image offers a glimpse of leisure and friendship among young African American women during the late 1910s or early 1920s. Informal photographs like this often documented everyday moments shared among friends and family, preserving scenes of social life, beauty, and joy within community settings. The photograph is part of the Mabel Vernon Alford Collection.
Type: Still image.
Subject: African American women
Friendship
Leisure activities
Gardens and flowers
Social life
Early twentieth-century African American life
Format: 2 × 4 inch sepia photographic print.
Rights: This image is made available for research and educational use. Reproduction or publication requires permission from the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History.
Rights Holder: Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, Fulton County Library System