Bishop Lawson: "First In New York"

The photo above was shared by flickr.com user Midwestern Femme from an old issue of JET magazine. In pursuit of a hobby, she has given us a glimpse into the past.

From this photo, we can gather the following: (1) this purchase was of social moment; (2) the release and sale of this specific car make and model was closely monitored; (3) it was not a matter of secrecy that Lawson could afford such a car; and (4) the car salesman and the photographer knew that Lawson would not be shy about having his picture taken for a nationally published magazine. Lawson doesn't strike a pose, isn't especially particular about impressing the thousands of eyes that would see this photo. He had nothing to prove; he was already well known; he had made his money honestly. He may have been may asking about the new Mark II, anticipating its release. A car salesman arranges the sale and lets a photographer friend know about the purchase. Voilà: easy photo op, and historical documentation.

The major message of this photo is black progress. New York was full of well-to-do churchmen and fine cars. It was significant, though, that a wealthy person of color had not been stopped from buying the first Mark II (the premier luxury car of its time), in an era when dealerships (and wealthy buyers) nationwide were known to discourage or delay the sale of fine cars to blacks. Unlike most black publications of that era, JET has survived to the present, which may have helped in the discovery of this photographic witness to black upward mobility in the post-WWII era.

Recent research has uncovered additional information written about Bishop Lawson by his contemporaries. A mainstay of Harlem's religious scene, Lawson was on everybody's radar, generally in a good light. A popular preacher, Bishop Lawson early on distinguished himself as a pastor and radio evangelist, even though the Pentecostal faith was initially considered a cult.