Photographs, circa 1900-2019 (bulk 1950-1990)

The Photographs series includes photographs relating to Joseph E. Lowery and Evelyn G. Lowery from circa 1900-2019 inclusive (bulk: 1950-1990). The images include individual portraits and snapshots of the Lowerys; images of the Lowerys with various relatives, friends, and acquaintances; Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. activities; other events, people and places; slides; negatives; and photograph albums. This series contains original images, as well as reproductions of photographs including photocopies of prints on paper.

The Personal and Family photographs sub-series contains portraits of Joseph E. Lowery from (circa 1927-2010); portraits of Evelyn G. Lowery (circa 1940-2013); as well as images of the Lowerys with other family, friends and acquaintances. The portraits are both formal and informal in nature and include some childhood and teenage images. This sub-series is arranged with portraits of Joseph E. Lowery listed first, then portraits of Evelyn G. Lowery, followed by other family photographs.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) photographs sub-series contains photographs and reproductions of images of activities, events and operations of the SCLC national office. Photographs were primarily organized and labeled by topic by SCLC staff. Images were mainly used for inclusion in SCLC publications including the SCLC magazine and other publicity. Many of the photographs in this sub-series were undated. Archivists grouped the undated photographs together by content; then labeled and assigned circa date ranges based on the context clues in the images.

Of particular interest are photographs from the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom (1957), photographs from the founding and operation of Operation Breadbasket (1962-1968, 1969), an organization started by SCLC to improve the economic conditions of Black communities throughout the United States; images of the Citizenship Education Program (1963-1972), which educated potential African-American voters; images of the Selma to Montgomery marches, known as “Bloody Sunday,” (1965) in which protesters were attacked by police; photographs from the March on Washington (1963); the Poor People’s Campaign (1968); images related to SCLC’s trip to Russia (1972); images of a car windshield shattered by a bullet from the Ku-Klux Klan (1979); and several photographs from SCLC National Conventions (1973-1997). This sub-series is arranged by decade, then in alphabetical order.

The SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. Inc. photographs sub-series contains photographs and reproductions of images of events and activities of SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. Many of the photographs in this sub-series were undated. Archivists grouped the undated photographs together by content; then labeled and assigned circa date ranges based on the context clues in the images. Of particular interest are photographs of SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. programs related to AIDS awareness; Civil Rights Heritage Tours; the Drum Major for Justice award dinners and golf tournaments; luncheons; oratorical contests and other events. This sub-series is arranged in alphabetical order.

The Subject photographs sub-series contains topical photographs relating to other organizations, interests, and events not directly related to SCLC or SCLC/W.O.M.E.N.. Many of the photographs in this sub-series were undated. Archivists grouped the undated photographs together by content; then labeled and assigned circa date ranges based on the context clues in the images. Of particular interest are photographs of the dedication of Joseph E. Lowery BLVD in Atlanta, Georgia; Martin Luther King Jr. birthday and memorial events; protests, marches, and strikes in New Jersey, New York, North Carolina; and Malcolm X’s funeral. This sub-series is arranged in alphabetical order.

The People photographs sub-series contains photographs and reproductions of images of people. Many of the photographs in this sub-series were undated. Archivists grouped the undated photographs together by content; then labeled and assigned circa date ranges based on the context clues in the images. Of particular interest are images of early African Methodist Episcopal Church bishops and pastors (M.W. Claire, Sr., R.E. Jones, J. Garland, W.G. Alston, J.B. Scott, J.C. Sherrill, W.W. Lucas, J.C. Hartzell, and Calvin Stanley) kept by Evelyn Gibson Redmond (Evelyn G. Lowery’s mother); photographs of Joseph E. Lowery with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Andrew Young; images of Coretta Scott King with others (Evelyn G. Lowery, Ralph Abernathy, Dexter King): and headshots for several SCLC members including Walter Fauntroy, C.T. Vivian, and Jack O’Dell.

Portraits of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his graduation photograph from Morehouse College in 1948 are also included. This sub-series also contains images of Evelyn G. Lowery with others; and photographs of Septima Clark, Dorothy Cotton, Rosa Parks, Hosea Williams, Andrew Young and former SCLC staff members are also included. This sub-series is arranged in alphabetical order. The Photograph albums, negatives and slides sub-series contains negatives, contact sheets and slides of people, places and events related to SCLC and SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. This sub-series is arranged in chronological order by format.