« Benny Joseph's interest in photography began in 1940 at age sixteen while he was a high school student in Houston. When he was discharged from the Army in 1945 and returned to his home in Texas, he enrolled in a two year program at Teal's School of Photography. A.C. Teal was a prominent black portrait photographer who prepared his students for careers in commercial photography. Like his contemporaries, Joseph recalls that he had to 'do it all' to make a living as a photographer -- portraits, snapshots, news, advertising, churches, parades, politicians, social groups, dances, and musicians. The mainistay of Joseph's business throughout his career was studio portraiture, although he also worked for the NAACP, KCOH radio, the Buffalo Booking Agency, and Duke-Peacock Records, one of the first and most successful black-owned recording companies in the United States. » (http://www.docarts.com/benny_joseph.html)
The 50 photographs in this exhibition are part of an important recent donation to ICP by Documentary Arts, Inc., a Dallas-based organization founded in 1985 to present new perspectives on historical issues and diverse cultures. Organized by guest curator Alan Govenar, the exhibition consists of black and white prints by Houston photographer Benny Joseph (born 1924) that trace the rise of rhythm and blues music in the 1950s and 1960s. It features portraits of such celebrated performers as B.B. King, Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, and Junior Parker, as well as non-R&B singers Mahalia Jackson and Della Reese. In addition, the exhibition includes Joseph's striking portraits of prominent African Americans of the same era, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Barbara Jordan.
Opening Rece...