Black History Month continues: Lecture, exhibition to spotlight acclaimed photographer P.H. Polk
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.āĻć½¶Ö±²„ Libraries, in partnership with Tuskegee University and the MSU-based Southern Literary Trail, is presenting a lecture and exhibition celebrating the work of acclaimed African-American photographer P.H. Polk.
In Mitchell Memorial Libraryās John Grisham Room, Tuskegee University Archivist Dana Chandler will present a 4 p.m. program Feb. 26 on Polkās photographs, which depict early 20th-century African-Americans from all walks of life, including Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington Carver, and farm workers in rural Alabama. Housed in Tuskegeeās archives, the images have been exhibited at leading museums and galleries throughout the country.
Along with being a trained archivist and historian, Chandler is a Tuskegee assistant professor. He has served in a variety of capacities within the private and public sectors as a surveyor, civil engineer and project manager, helping to design and build projects through the South and nation. He also has worked with corporations seeking to start up recycling facilities in the U.S. and Latin America.
On display March 4-29, āUnframed Imagesā is an Ļć½¶Ö±²„exhibition featuring 14 images that have been digitally enlarged and reproduced from Polkās original works. Free and open to the public, the exhibition can be viewed from 7 a.m.-11:45 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m.-7:45 p.m. on Friday at Old Main Academic Centerās Louis Burns Brock, Jay Brock and Hank Brock Gallery. It also will be on display in the Grisham Room during Chandlerās presentation.
Sarah McCullough, Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries coordinator of cultural heritage projects, said the university is grateful for the chance to collaborate with Tuskegee on these two events, part of Februaryās Black History Month celebration.
āPolk portrays his subjects with an extraordinary beauty,ā McCullough said. āMore than 3,800 images from his huge collection were donated to Tuskegee and have just recently been available for exhibit, so many of his images have never been seen by the public.ā
Chandler echoed McCulloughās sentiments, adding āP.H. Polk is the preeminent African-American photographer, and we are so thrilled to be working with Ļć½¶Ö±²„ and the Southern Literary Trail in this endeavor.ā
Based at Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries, the Southern Literary Trail project pays tribute to writers of classic literature in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. For more, follow on Facebook @southernliterarytrail.
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