Ernest C. Withers, Profile Of A Photographer

I would like to extend my condolences to the Withers family, on the loss of their father "Ernest C. Withers". He was like a walking textbook of the local civil rights movement. In addition to just the pictures he has taken. All he didn't document with pictures, he kept in his mind. As one historian put it "he had a knack for being in the right place at the right time." He was also one of the first Black policeman in the city of Memphis. His photography career spanned over a sixty year period. He was eighty-five years old at the time of his death (1922-2007). On last evening I had the pleasure of watching a documentary about the life and career of Mr. Withers. I was surprised to learn that he has reportedly taken over 12,000,000 pictures. He was never seen in public without a camera around his neck.