2026
Brand Identity, Art Direction, Concept Development
Art Director: Paul Kepple
Collaborators:
Eric Wright - Videographer/Photographer
Daniel Williams - Videographer/Photographer
1619 is an archive of the Black American experience, focusing on personal record, belongings & cultural practices.
As experiences may differ from region to region, 1619’s mission is to engage with, learn from, and represent the diversity of black cultures throughout the United States.
We invite individuals to share their stories — on their own terms, in their own voice.
For more information about how this brand came together, please view my Medium Brand Story
Archives preserve first-hand experiences that define a communities identity — personal records, photographs, belongings, and art. The documentation and preservation of these items give us a deeper understanding of people’s heritage and identity.
Today, preserving black history is especially important. Across the nation, schools are limiting or removing curriculum pertaining to slavery and black history. Here in Philadelphia, signage at Independence Mall highlighting the impact of slavery in the city was removed. Given the situation, 1619 is responding as both preservation and resistance to the current treatment of black history.
This archive will include both a catalog and website of interviews collected from Black Philadelphia natives sharing their story and experience of living in the city, collected photography, and resources to connect and learn more about black history within Philadelphia.
Video Credits:
Photography: Dick Swanson, 1973 Philadelphia Collection
Video Clips: Daniel Williams
Edits: Morgan Brown
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The main, and most important part of my archive collection, was collecting interviews with black Philadelphia natives, and getting a sense of what it was like for them to grow up in Philly. During the interview process, I asked them a series of questions, first starting with “Introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about where you grew up.”
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I started with some base questions for the interviews I held, but as each conversation shifted, so did the questions I asked, so that I could deeper understanding of their story.
While some of the questions I asked were general, each one gave me a deeper sense of how being black impacted their experience growing up and living in Philadelphia.
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