Business View Magazine May 2023

143 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 Dr. Ernest Withers, Sr. (1922-2007), a native Memphian, is an internationally acclaimed photographer recognized for his iconic photographs in Memphis and the broader South during the Civil Rights era. His well-known images of musicians during Memphis’ early days of legendary blues, soul, and rock and roll scene; his chronicling of Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and participants in Memphis’ 1968 “I AM A MAN” sanitation strike; his preservation of the end of the Negro Leagues comprise an unequaled time capsule of the heartland of Mid-Century America. Withers’ images are in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian and other esteemed institutions. He took pictures of public facilities as they integrated, such as the Cossitt Library of Memphis and Memphis City Zoo. Withers also traveled, capturing Dr. King riding one of the first desegregated Montgomery, Alabama buses at the end of the famed bus boycott. In 1955, he was employed by the Tri-State Defender newspaper in Chicago to cover the trial of Roy Bryant and JW Milam for the lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi. Here, as in his own community. Withers captured over 1.8 million images of American History. Apart from documenting those fighting for racial justice, Withers also gained acclaim by capturing some of the lighter sides of life by photographing famed Memphians who brought soul, rock n roll, and the blues into the mainstream music scene, such as BB King, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin. As the official photographer for Stax Records, Dr. Withers’ images of David Porter, Isaac Hayes, Rufus, and Carla Thomas paint a picture of the heart of the Memphis music scene in the mid-20th century. In addition to the Civil Rights, Music, Sports, and Lifestyle collection, the Withers archive contains an extensive Politics collection that includes presidents from Kennedy to Clinton and many other well-known figures. Dr. Withers’ last working studio on 333 Beale Street building was named in his honor by the City of Memphis in 1995. In February 2011, four years after his death, The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery opened to the public and houses images of Memphis and broader American history through the lens of Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr. The Withers Collection’s mission focuses on preserving and sharing the works of Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr. because, as Dr. Withers stated, “ Pictures Tell the Story.” For more information, visit www.thewitherscollection.com