Remembering Donna Wells

Donna Wells passed away a little more than 7 years ago, on 2 November 2009.  For those of you who did not know Donna, she was Prints and Photographs Librarian at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, a historian and supporter of photographers and a wonderful person.

I visited the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center this past week and had a conversation with JoEllen ElBashir, Curator of the Manuscript Division, and Richard Jenkins, Library Technician, about photographers that may have taken photographs in 1968.  The conversation quickly turned to Donna.  She worked closely with the Exposure Group African American Photographers Association and the FotoCraft Camera Club, photography clubs based in DC.

They started listing photographers:  Ellsworth Davis, Matthew Lewis, Roy Lewis, Lateef Magnum and Maurice Sorrell.

While I was looking through the Charles Qualls Papers at the Anacostia Community Museum this morning, I noted the names of other photographers whose photographs were part of the collection: A. Cabell Photo, Gaffney Photographers, Alonzo D. Greene, Fred Harris, Melray Photographers, Pease Photograph, Bruce Reedy Photography and Charles R. Robins.

I am grateful to all of the local photographers (including my father, Bobby R Hale) who devoted time, energy and money to capturing their city.  

And I am grateful to Donna for sharing her love of and expertise on photographers.   

Do you know other photographers who were active in 1968?  

photo source: Jeffrey Fearing, photographer