Sepia Vernacular: Overtown's Photographic Journey | Free Admission

The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA), in partnership with the City of Miami Planning Department, presents Sepia Vernacular: Overtown’s Photographic Journey, 1920–1950, an extended photographic exhibition honoring the people, places, and enduring character of one of Miami’s oldest and most influential communities. Curated from the City of Miami Planning Department’s archives, the exhibition features Color Town, a rare photographic collection by Max Waldman. Captured during the winter of 1947, Waldman’s images document Overtown’s daily life and streetscapes, offering an intimate and powerful visual record of the neighborhood at a pivotal moment in its history. The exhibition is on display at the newly inaugurated Lawson E. Thomas Building, a restored historic space located in the heart of Overtown. Opening in the very neighborhood that inspired it, Sepia Vernacular serves as both a tribute and a reminder—celebrating Overtown’s rich cultural legacy while reflecting on its place within a rapidly evolving urban landscape. Visitors are invited to experience Overtown’s history through photography that captures resilience, community, and identity, and to engage with a past that continues to shape Miami’s future.