Bill Chapman | The Creative Legacy of Ernest Withers

We are so pleased to host a special event featuring the work of photographer Ernest Withers through the eyes and friendship of fellow photographer Bill Chapman. This talk will be a broad discussion of the legacy of work Wither’s leaves us with through his Civil Rights images among other moments in a turbulent time.

Join us Tuesday March 21st at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific in the Griffin Zoom Room.

This event is FREE to Griffin Museum members. $10 for Non Members. Interested in Membership and its benefits? See more about what the Griffin offers here

Bill Chapman’s interest in photography began with a Kodak Brownie camera while he was still in a Brookline, MA grammar school. During this time in his life, he also developed an interest in baseball and both gospel and rhythm and blues music. Reading was and still is one of his preoccupations. Over the years, his interest in all, but especially in photography as a practicing form of communication, continued. Graduating from Mass College of Art, he began to travel to his places of interest in America.

As destiny would have it, he viewed an exhibit of Ernest Withers photographs of the Negro Leagues in a Boston gallery. On assignment for the Pawtucket Red Sox, he went to Memphis and decided to call Dr. Withers. A close friendship developed immediately which continued until Dr. Withers passing. Bill made many trips to Memphis and considers Withers his mentor during that period. He worked with him, ate with him, went to church and spent many entire days learning about history and absorbing practical advice for living.

Chapman’s photographs can be found in many museums, books, magazines, and newspapers. From The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to books like “Shut Out: a Story of Race and Baseball in Boston,” his work is well represented. He is the official photographer for Rickwood Field in Birmingham, photographing the annual Negro League activities there and is the photographer for The Harlem Gospel Choir in New York City. He remains in close contact with the Withers family and Foundation.

We are thrilled to partner with the Network for Social Justice for this conversation.