Biography
Biography · Film & Television
William D. Foster
1884–1940
United States
Loading image…Biography
William D. Foster, sometimes referred to as Bill Foster (1884 – 15 April 1940), was a pioneering African-American film producer who was an influential figure in the Black film industry in the early 20th century, along with others such as Oscar Micheaux. He was the first African American to found a film production company, establishing the Foster Photoplay Company in Chicago in 1910. Foster had a vision for the African-American community to portray themselves as they wanted to be seen, not as someone else depicted them.
Sources & collection details
Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗
Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13
Continue exploring Series 1
Arts, Music & Culture →Everyday Life & Community →
Explore all Series 1 cards →Keep exploring
1997–
1966–2019
