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September Issue 2005
South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC, Features Photographs by Julian Dimock
An exhibit of historic photographs depicting the Palmetto State in 1904 and 1905 will premiere at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC. Camera Man's Journey: Julian Dimock's South opens Sept. 2 with 75 black and white images taken in Columbia, Beaufort and Hilton Head during the photographer's travels through the Southeast. The exhibit can be seen in the fourth-floor Palmetto Gallery through Aug. 20, 2006.
Julian Dimock was born to wealth in New Jersey in 1873. Ill health forced him to retire early from the New York Stock Exchange and become a photographer for his father, who was a financier and noted sportsman. During the late 19th century, a number of the well-off class turned its attention to the plight of the poor, and as the fields of anthropology and sociology were opening up, the camera became an important tool for documentation.
During his career, Dimock photographed cowboys, Seminole Indians, loggers, the Everglades and other subjects. He came to South Carolina to record the daily lives of local residents, especially former slaves and their descendents. In recording the abject poverty to which the segregation of the Jim Crow system had consigned them, in the process Dimock captured their strong spirits and dignity. Not yet knowing the gravity of their situations, children were happy and smiling. Even bent by hard labor, poise and character come through in the faces and composure of the adults.
"These beautifully crafted images are unique for several reasons," says Curator of History Elaine Nichols. "Most of them feature African-Americans at the turn of the century. The majority of the photographs were taken outdoors and children are the primary subjects. "The photographs depict ordinary people engaged in everyday life - at work, at home and at play. They document the clothing, tools, toys, architecture and the environment at the turn of the century." Indeed, porches, fields, farms, city streets and water are common backdrops for Dimock's striking photos.
Through this exhibit, museum guests will be able to examine the way things were a century ago, and reflect on how far society has come since those days. "This is the first time these images will be shown in a public exhibition," says Nichols. "We're both excited and honored to be the location for the premiere of this important photographic collection."
For more information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Museum at 803/898-4921 or at (www.museum.state.sc.us).
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