The Art and the Artist: How Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) photographers highlighted Black joy, emerging artists, and the Civil Rights Movement.

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

To examine something is to inspect (someone or something) in detail to determine their nature or condition. African American life is often examined from many different angles such as pain, trauma, resilience, and disadvantage. However, those aren’t the only experiences that make up African American life; there is also happiness, love, laughter, and joy. This poster presentation will focus on hardships and triumphs through the lens of three Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) photographers: Richard Saunders, Howard Morehead, and David Jackson – all of whom played their own unique roles in creating photographic artworks in the latter half of the twentieth century that highlighted various aspects of these experiences. Naja Morris will highlight the career of Richard Saunders and how his photographs highlighted Black joy. Jacob Wolf will explore the photographs of Howard Morehead, who played a pivotal role in highlighting emerging Black artists. Finally, Donna Edgar will dive into the role that David Jackson played in the Civil Rights Movement. These photographers highlighted stories that other magazines and newspaper outlets largely ignored, transforming the landscape of photojournalism. All three of these topics and photographers reflect the work that JPC achieved more broadly. The poster presentation will expose attendees to lesser-known photographs from the JPC Archive and introduce them to an extremely valuable collection that will be partially available for access and research in 2025.

Authors

• Naja Morris, Getty Research Institute

• Donna Marie Edgar, Getty Research Institute

• Jacob Wolf, Getty Research Institute