Thomas E. Askew (c. 1847 – July 12, 1914) was a photographer in Atlanta, Georgia. An African American, his work included portraits of himself, his family, and prominent African American community members. His portraits and views were included in an

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

titled ''Types of American Negroes'' that was compiled by

W. E. B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relativel ...

for

The Exhibit of American Negroes The Exhibit of American Negroes was a sociological display within the Palace of Social Economy at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. The exhibit was a joint effort between Daniel Murray, the Assistant Librarian of Congress, Thomas J. Calloway, a l ...

at the

Exposition Universelle of 1900 The Exposition Universelle of 1900 (), better known in English as the 1900 Paris Exposition, was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 14 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate develop ...

in Paris. He died on July 12, 1914. The

Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 The Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 began just after noon on 21 May 1917 in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, Georgia. It is unclear just how the fire started, but it was fueled by hot temperatures and strong winds which propelled the fire. The fire, ...

destroyed his studio and equipment. He is buried in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery. Daughter of Thomas E

Askew's 1899 photograph ''African American men and women posed for portrait on steps at Atlanta University, Georgia'' was featured in the television series ''

Abbott Elementary ''Abbott Elementary'' is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional p ...

'', season three, episode "Willard R. Abbott," in which the image was used to celebrate historical Black public-school teachers.

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