Meet Mrs. VanDerZee: for this issue of FOOTSTEPS, Lowery Stokes Sims, the president of The Studio Museum in Harlem, spoke with James VanDerZee's widow, Donna Mussenden VanDerZee.(Donna VanDerZee)(Interview)

Lowery Stokes Sims: How and when did you first meet James VanDerZee?

Donna VanDerZee: I met VanDerZee in August of 1975. We were introduced by a mutual friend named Joe Black. He was an architect who was taking a car trip through Harlem and suggested that I join him and VanDerZee. I was studying interior design at the time. It was a beautiful day. Joe had a white Mercedes sports convertible, and I was sitting in the jump seat. We waited on VanDerZee for about 40 minutes. He finally came down with a hat and cane, and I believe he had gloves with him. I didn't know who VanDerZee was at the time. I worried that he would have trouble getting into the car because he was older, but he got in with just a little assistance. What really impressed me was when he looked at me in my big hat, tube top, and shorts, he …