AMA exhibit features African-American photo portraits from two eras

ALBANY — As Albany Museum of Art Executive Director Paula Williams looked over the photographs of renowned African-American photographer Richard Samuel Roberts secured for loan for a four-month exhibit at the museum, a thought struck her.

“Richard Samuel Roberts’ photographs are considered the standard for his era, the late ’20s and 1930s,” Williams said. “Our previous curator at the museum had worked with the Columbia (South Carolina) Museum of Art to secure the photos for an exhibit, and in doing the follow-up a couple of things hit me.

“First was the beauty of the imagery from the African-American community in those photographs. Then, as I thought about the juxtaposition of those photographs and ones from our current era, Adrian Jenkins came to mind. I’d worked with Adrian before on several projects, so I approached him about this idea of using photographs from this era with Mr. Roberts’ photographs. As we looked through them, I was taken by the similarity, the way both evoke the same emotions.”

So Williams and current AMA Curator Katie Dillard started working with Jenkins to find photographs from his portfolio that could be used in the exhibit “A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts,” which opens to the public Saturday and runs through May 28.

“Paula and I had worked together years ago, and when she approached me with her idea it didn’t really register at first,” said Jenkins, whose AE Jenkins Photography has been a staple in the downtown Albany Harlem district for almost 35 years. “But as we sat together and looked through a book of Richard Samuel Roberts’ photographs, I was struck with how much that gentleman’s style reminded me of my style.

“As we got further into putting together a group of my photos for the exhibit, it started to sink in that this was a pretty big deal. I’ve had my work displayed for a wide variety of events, but never for anything like this. My wife (Collette) and I were talking about it, and it dawned on both of us: This is huge.”

Williams said Roberts’ work in the ’20s and ’30s offered a striking look at Southern African-American life during that era.

“His imagery is beautiful,” she said. “Richard Samuel Roberts’ photographs are from everyday life: portraits, children’s photos, graduation pictures, families. His work shows what photographs do for us, how they conjure up memories of a particular time.

“Adrian’s photographs are strikingly similar. And while the technology has obviously changed dramatically over the years, the photos from the two eras together show that little has changed between now and then.”

For his part, Jenkins said he had a tough time narrowing exhibit photos to the 10 or 15 prints he was asked to provide.

“As I looked back over the things I’ve shot over the years, I tried to find images that would complement Mr. Roberts’,” Jenkins said. “I’d say 75 to 80 percent of the stuff he did then is very similar to what I’ve been doing over the years.”

Jenkins became a photographer almost by default. As a student at Southside Middle School, where his mother was a teacher, he became part of a group that put together a school newspaper. When no one could get the school’s camera to work, young Adrian said he’d take it to Albany photographer Ben Cochran’s studio to find out what was wrong. Cochran’s studio was near Jenkins’ grandad’s Harlem business.

“He showed me how to work the camera, so I officially became the photographer,” Jenkins laughs.

He continued his budding photography career at Monroe High School and Albany State University, taking yearbook and public information photos at each. Jenkins took over Cochran’s studio in 1982, moved to 309 S. Jackson St. a decade later and has become a fixture in the community, taking school and family portraits and offering all other manner of photographic services.

“When I talked to Adrian about this exhibit, he said, ‘There are lots of other portrait photographers you could use,’” Williams said. “I told him, ‘No, you’re the guy.’ I knew his work was perfect for this exhibit, which is very important for the museum.

“One of the things we want to do in our community is help break the racial divide that exists. This exhibit is one of the ways we’re reaching out to the African-American community because I believe it is important that the museum truly reflect the community we serve.”

A special private viewing of the “A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts” exhibit will be held for mueum members only today. It will open to the public on Saturday, along with the “Masterworks from the International Guild of Realism” exhibit. That show will remain at AMA through June 11.