© Ernest C. Withers
© Ernest C. Withers
Ernest C. Withers' photographs document and interpret the social history of the African American
experience from the late 1940s through the 1970s.
He explores the rise and victory of the civil rights movement, the rigid segregation that pervaded
sports such as baseball, and the emergence of widespread popular music in the form of rock 'n'
roll.
An exhibit of his work, Pictures Tell the Story, is featured in the Main Gallery of the
Griffin Museum January 5 through March 1. An opening reception is January 12, 7-8:30 p.m. The work
is presented courtesy of Decaneas Archive, Revere, MA.
Withers's civil rights photographs are his most important body of work. In the 1950s and 1960s,
Memphis, Tennessee, was at the heart of the movement, and Withers, an African American, not only
documented the struggle, but worked actively to propel the movement forward.
He photographed Martin Luther King Jr. many times. And, after King's assassination in Memphis, he
went to extremes to document everything related to the event. The images symbolize the sense of
loss Withers, and many others, were feeling after King's death.
Lesser known than his civil rights photography, are his shots of the baseball players of the
Diamond League, a series of images he called "Good Times in Memphis," and musical entertainers.
"Good Times" featured photographs taken in and around Memphis and centered on African American
life, ranging from elegantly dressed groups in the Beale Street nightclubs to debutante balls to
funerals.
The musical entertainers he photographed included a young Elvis Presley, B.B King, Aretha Franklin,
Ike and Tina Turner, Isaac Hayes, and others, showing the emergence of rock n' roll out of the
gospel, folk, and rhythm and blues cultures of the Mississippi Delta.
"A leader for the 20th century, Withers has secured a legacy that will endure," said Brooks
Johnson, former curator of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. "Withers' photographs have
influenced millions of people. Yet, his importance lies not only in the fact that he documented the
segregated world of African American culture at mid-century but that he has been a catalyst for
social change. A remarkable man who has lived a humble life, Withers has made a major contribution
to preserving America's collective history."
Withers died Oct. 15, 2007.
Anhony Decaneas, longtime agent and personal friend will reminisce on his experience with Ernest
and the photographs on display at the Griffin Museum on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 6:30 PM.
Admission is free for members and $7.00 for nonmembers.
Prior to the public reception, at 6:15 p.m., Susan Berger presents a talk for museum members on her
exhibit Martin Luther King Boulevard.
The Griffin Museum of Photography is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am - 5 pm; Friday 11 am - 4
pm; and Saturday and Sunday, noon - 4 pm. The Museum is closed on Monday. Admission is $7 for
adults; $3 for seniors. Members and children under 12 are admitted free. Admission is free to all
every Thursday. For more information, call 781-729-1158.
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