Jerome J. Johnson photograph collection
Collection Overview
This collection is arranged into 2 series and ordered chronologically.
The first series of eight folders contains negatives and prints from specific events between November of 1995 and February of 1996. Events include various meetings of the South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors and programs at the AVery Institute.
Each folder with prints contains within the sleeve a description of individuals featured in the photographs.
The second and final series contains 335 photographs and is housed in a large binder. These photographs feature political figures from the National Black Police Association Convention and the Avery Historic Charleston Foundation Reception. The pictures also feature event affiliates, performers, and the general public from the Ridgeville-Lincolnville Labor Day Weekend Festival and the Charleston Chronicle’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Dates
- Creation: 1995-1996
Creator
- Johnson, Jerome J. (Person)
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical Note
Jerome J. Johnson is a freelance photojournalist and photo-historian living in and working out of Charleston, SC. He pursued the fields of engineering and art at Howard University from 1946 to 1950, after which, he served in the US Air Force. He then worked in various jobs for the US government that involved cartography, architecture, and photography. It is through his photography that he became interested in projecting the positive accomplishments of African Americans in the low country.
Upon retiring from his career in the federal government in 1976, Johnson worked as a political photographer in Dallas, Texas where he designed an exhibit displaying African American role models. This display was featured in the Dallas City Hall, colleges and universities within the area, and the African American Heritage Museum of Dallas. Following this, Johnson received the Distinguished Award for reporting on African American History.
In 1992, Jerome Johnson designed a contemporary African American Role Models Exhibit in Tuskegee, Alabama. Commissioned by Mayor, Johnny Ford, Johnson’s display was housed in the Tuskegee Municipal Complex, and eventually made its way to institutions around the country.
Due to his recent success, Johnson was commissioned to travel throughout the Southern United States to photograph the National Conference of Black Mayors in 1993. He continued to be the lead photographer of these annual banquets until 1996.
The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture displayed his South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors Exhibit during black history month of 1996.
The style of the exhibits that Johnson designed consisted of brief pictorial and biographical profiles of each selected honoree. He depicted specific interesting aspects of the city in-which they were based in, and the honorees’ positive contributions to the African American community. Johnson felt that the individuals featured in his displays should represent progression in education, business, law, government, architecture, aviation, and arts. The achievements of honor students were also on display to give the youth a sense of history by teaching them about past heroes and heroines as well as to expose them to the influences of living role models.
Extent
0.63 linear feet (2 archival boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Jerome J. Johnson (1929-2020) was a freelance photographer who was commissioned to photograph the National Conference of Black Mayors and the South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors annually from 1993 to 1996. This collection features photograph negatives and prints from these annual conventions as well as other receptions such as the National Black Police Association Convention, the Avery Historic Charleston Foundation Reception, the Ridgeville-Lincolnville Labor Day Weekend Festival, and the Charleston Chronicle’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Collection Arrangement
This collection contains 2 series.
- Events, 1995-1996
- Photograph album, 1995
Acquistions Information
Materials donated in [year] by Jerome J. Johnson.
Processing Information
Processed by Veer Mehta, October 2023.
Source
- Johnson, Jerome J. (Donor, Person)
Subject
- South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors (Organization)
- Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture (Organization)
- Title
- Inventory of the Jerome J. Johnson photograph collection, 1995-1996
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2023
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu