Photographs of P. H. Polk at The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum

Monday, 04 September 2006 15:52

Delray Beach, FL — The Photographs of P. H. Polk, an eloquent testimony to southern African-American life, will be on display at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum through December 18, 2006.

These reprints of 1930s and 1940s photographs by renown artist P. H. Polk (1898-1985) represent three fascinating themes: African-American rural farm workers; studio portraits of upper-middle class black families; and portraits of Tuskegee Institute school associates, such as George Washington Carver, where Polk was the official school photographer.  No matter the subject, Polk composed his photographs with meticulous attention to light, background, environment, and composition, resulting in photographs which are important for both their technical example and their historical value.

The Photographs of P. H. Polk exhibit is made possible through the generous support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts with a special thanks to Paul Jones and the P. H. Polk family for making the exhibit possible.

The Folk Arts & Southern Culture Traveling Exhibits Program, a program of the Southern Arts Federation, is responsible for the management and scheduling of The Photographs of P.H. Polk.  Southern Visions features exhibits that celebrate the South’s rich cultural heritage and traditional arts.  The program provides Southern communities with access to artistically excellent traveling exhibits.

Established in 2001, the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is housed in a two-story residence originally built in 1926 and home to the late Solomon D. Spady, a prominent local educator and community leader from 1922 to 1957.  Utilizing exhibits and artwork, the museum has served as a source of information for people wanting to know more about the city's early black history and culture.

For more information about the Spady visit www.spadymuseum.org