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Emmanuel Francis Joseph (1900-1979)

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Emmanuel Francis (E.F.) Joseph was the first professional African American photographer in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Born on November 8, 1900 on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Joseph would later move to the United States and attend the American School of Photography in Chicago, Illinois. After graduation in 1924, Joseph moved to Oakland, California, where he apprenticed in a photography studio. 

In the early 1930's, Joseph began his career as a photojournalist. He worked for numerous Bay Area newspapers, including the California Voice, The Oakland Post, San Francisco Examiner, and the nationally distributed Pittsburgh Courier from Pennsylvania.  

Joseph also ran a photography studio initially out of his home in West Oakland. He took photos of babies, children, men, women, couples, and families. He also captured the contours of community life, snapping photos at events held by churches, schools, nightclubs, social clubs, and lodges. He recorded community events such as etiquette classes, athletic events at local schools, and debutante balls at local halls. 

During World War II Joseph served as a photographer for the United States Office of War Information. Over the course of the war, Joseph’s camera captured life in the Bay Area’s defense industries. including many “Rosie Riveters” images and the iconic photo of Lena Horne launching the battleship USS George Carver.  Joseph’s camera also caught some of the more dramatic moments of the era, with everyday World War II life in the Bay Area, such as USO dances and the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco.

Joseph also built a thriving commercial photography business. Enterprises of all kinds sought him out to cast their business and product in a favorable light, including car dealerships, restaurants, flower shops, funeral homes, doughnut shops, and department stores. Joseph retired in the early 1970 after working in newspaper and studio photography for four decades

Emmanuel Francis Joseph died in Oakland, California on September 27, 1979 at the age of 79.
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