The Palmer Memorial Institute: Educator's Guide to the Exhibition

2005·1.5 MB·English

THE PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Educators' Guide to the Lxhioition
ATravelingExhibition ofthe Center for Documentary Studies at Duice University
1317 West Pettigrew Street, Durham, North Carolina 27705 919-660-3663 http://cds.aas.ciuke.edu
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CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Charlotte Hawkins Brown and the Palmer
Memorial Institute 4
Griff Davis 7
Themes for Discussion 8
Writing and Discussion Activity 9
The Documentary Arts: Photography
and Oral History 10
Resources 13
The Charlotte Hawkins Brown
Museum 14 Cover:PalmerMemorialInstitute
Above:DancingwithclassmateRobertMinorofDurham,North
Carolina,atprom
Exhibition Credits 15
All photographsinthisguidearebyGriftDavis,circa 1947.
The Centerfor DocumentaryStudies at Duke University
^^
-
1317W.PettigrewStreet
Durham, NC 27705
919-660-3663
http://cds.aas.duke.edu
[email protected]
CDSTravelingExhibitions Inquiries:
[email protected]
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INTRODUCTION
iriffDavis'sphotographsofthePalmerMemorial Insti- TheCenterforDocumentaryStudiesatDukeUniversity
tute (PMI), thework ofa notable twentieth-century has assembled thisguideasaway to helpeducators explore
B
photojournalist, document theheydayofa nationally thesetopicswith theirstudents. In theguideyoucan learn
respected African American preparatory school in North more about the Palmer Memorial Institute, PMI founder
Carolina, an important chapter in the history ofAfrican Charlotte Hawkins Brown, photographer GriffDavis, the
Americaneducation.Thesephotographsarealsosignificant, documentary arts, and other resources. In the exhibit you
especiallywhenviewedwithinthecontextofthePMI expe- willseeaseriesofseventeenblack-and-whitephotographs
rience, becausetheyspeakto manyofthecritical issues that includinga reproduction ofDavis's famous photo-essayon
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havegrippedAmericafordecades: racial inequalityandseg- PMI for Ebonymagazine and you will hear recollections
regation, thedynamicsofeconomicandsocialclasses, alter- from PMI graduates. Itisourhopethat thesecomponents,
nativesatatimewhentheblackpopulation had fewoppor- when experienced together, will formacompellingportrait
tunities for adequate education, the role ofphilanthropy of Palmer Memorial Institute, Brown, Davis, and their
andsponsorship in keeping blackprivateschools running, broaderhistoricalcontext.
the changing roles ofmen and women, the leadership of OnbehalfoftheCenterforDocumentaryStudies,which
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AfricanAmerican women all ofthese dynamics aresug- organized and is travelingthisexhibition, wehopethatyou
gested in GriffDavis's images. In addition, theaudiocom- and yourstudentshaveawonderfulexperience.
ponent ofthisexhibit offers contemporary reflections from
PMIgraduates,weavingtheirmemoriesintoalargerviewof LizLindseyandjimmyRichardson
lifeat Palmeracrossseveraldecades. CENTER FORDOCUMENTARYSTUDIES EXHIBITIONS PROGRAM
Pos'mgwithfriends
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
'
Charlotte Hawkins Brown and
the Palmer Memorial Institute
he history ofthe Palmer Memori.al I.nstitu.te an.d Dr. blackstudents at the time.Theschool closed at theend of
F CharlotteHawkins Brownareinextricablybound.The thespringterm in 1902 becausetheAMAdecided to focus
('f Insti.tute',s founderwasborn LottieHawkins in 1883 in its modest resources on colleges and training schools. In-
Henderson, North Carolina. In 1888 her family moved to spired by the community's pleas to keep the school open,
Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hawkins was a leader in her Hawkins returned to New England that summer to raise
church and went to the Cambridge English High School; moneybysingingat beach resortsandspeakingatchurches.
upon graduatingshechanged her name to Charlotte Euge- Mrs. Palmer introduced her to several wealthy individuals
niaHawkins, whichsheconsidered morecultured. In 1900, whodonated funds to theschool.
CharlottemetAlice Freeman Palmer, president otWellesley Helped by local African Americans and northernwhite
College, who quickly recognized the unusual talentsofthe friends and benefactors, Hawkins reopened the school in
youngwoman. Soon Charlotteenteredcollegeto train asa October 1902 in a converted blacksmith's shop. The roof
teacherattheStateNormalSchoolofSalem, Ma.ssachusetts. leaked, and therewas not much moneyforbooksand food.
Mrs. Palmerpaid herexpenses. That same year, Mrs. Palmer died, and Hawkins soon re-
In1901, Mi.ssHawkins,onlyeighteenyearsold, accepted named theschool theAliceFreeman PalmerMemorialInsti-
ajob teachingat aschool forAfricanAmericans run bythe tute in her honor. EachsummerHawkins traveled northto
religiousAmerican MissionaryAssociation (AMA) in arural raisefunds, and beforelongthefirstclassroombuildingwas
community outside of Greensboro, North Carolina. She started, and the first three students graduated from PMI.
was able to make many improvements at theschool, strug- Helen Kimball, ol Brookline, Massachusetts, donated land
gling against the inadequate public education imposed on for a school farm to grow food and teach farming. Before
long therewere four newwooden buildings, all but one of
which students helped to construct. Manyofthe northern
whitedonors heavilysupported thedomestic and industrial
trainingcurriculumofPMI. Iheyalsoencouraged Hawkins
tocontinuetoteachetiquetteand religion and tomaintain
strictdiscipline. By1916, theschool taught traditional aca-
demic subjects as well as industrial and farm training and
produced fifty-fivegraduates.
Hawkinswasbrieflymarried toEdwardBrown,ateacher
studyingat Harvard. DuringherearlyyearsatPMI,shealso
founded theNorth Carolina Federation ofNegroWomen's
Clubsand joined theNorth CarolinaNegroTeachersAsso-
ciation, twoorganizations in which shewould continue to
playaleadingrolefordecades.
Afterfifteenyearsofrunningtheschool,CharlotteHawkins
Brownhadearned thesupportofalargenumberofdonors,
manyofthemfromGuilfordCountyaswellasfromNewEng-
land. Galen Stone,wholived in Boston, becametheschool's
largest contributoroverthe next tenyears. In 1917, firede-
stroyedtwowoodenbuildingsattheschool.Asclassescontin-
ued, citizens in GreensboroandNewEnglandbegan raising
fundstorebuild.TheSedaliaSingers, talentedPMIstudents,
gave asold-out performance in Greensboro to raise money.
Takingabreakoutdoorsbetweenclasses Donations fell short ofthe needed amount, but Stone gave
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Eachmorningat8:30, Dr. CharlotteHawkinsBrownaddressedthestudentbody.
sufficient funds to makeup fortheshortfall and provided shouldbecomepartofalargerorganization inordertocon-
moremoneyforschool operatingexpenses. Students helped tinue growing. In the 1920s, at Brown's request, theAMA
with thenewbuildingbymakingbricksandsawinglumber, offered to help PMI ifthe school first raised $300,000 for
and in April 1922, the Alice Freeman Palmer Building was newbuildings.With thesupportofmanyofherNewEng-
dedicated. A few days later, fire destroyed Memorial Hall, land friends, Charlotte Hawkins Brown met thegoal, and
oneoftheschool'sfirstwoodenbuildings. theAMAtookoveroperationofPMI. In1927construction
Despite thesesetbacks, Brown was abletoexpand PMI's beganontwonewcampusbuildings: Kimball Hall, adining
mission.Therewas agrowingemphasis on academics, and hall, and Galen Stone Hall, agirls' dorm, honoring two of
enrollment ingradesonethrough twelveaveraged 250stu- Brown's mostgeneroussupporters. Stonedied in 1926, be-
dents per year, with halfofthem boarding at the school. fore the building was completed, but his wife and son re-
Most of the students came from the nearby counties in mained dedicated to helpingPMI formanyyears following
NorthCarolina.Thehighschoolwasaccredited in 1922, ata hisdeath.
time when even few white schools achieved such a rating. Becomingan AMAschool meant Brown no longer had
Many supporters ofthe school, including Stone, felt PMI tospendagreatdealoftimeraisingfunds. In1928,shevaca-
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
tioned in EuropeandstudiedatWellesley; both experiences
led to her desire to strengthen the academic curriculum at
PMI. Brown started ajuniorcollegeon thecampus, which
emphasized finearts and physical education.
In1934, theAMAand PMI ended theirrelationshipafter
aseriesofconflictsovertheadministrationoftheschool.The
campus had been improved, but PMI was on its own once
more. Brown again builtsupportand incomefortheschool.
The Sedalia Singers toured cities in the Northeast, giving
concerts to raise money. As the school's academic and fine
artsreputation grew nationallyunderan interracial boardof
trustees, Brown began toturn herattention todevelopinga
preparatoryschool.Through herefforts, apublicschool for
localAfricanAmerican elementaryand highschoolstudents
opened in i937.Thejuniorcollegeclosed in 1940.Although
enrollmentatPMIbythistimewascomposedchieflyofthose SeniorFlorenceEdmondsofWashington, D.C., demonstratesttierigt>t
whose familiescould afford to paytuition and helpwith ex- tectiniqueforwalkinggracefully.
penses,scholarshipawardscontinuedandstudentsworkedon
campus to keepoperatingcostsdown. Each year, PMI hada
CharlotteHawkinsBrown'sspeech"TheNegroand
longwaitinglistofapplicants.Studentscameto Palmerfrom
acrosstheUnitedStatesandfromtheCaribbeanandAfi'ica. SocialGraces,"broadcastoverCBSradioin1940,
By 1947, Brown had been running Palmer for forty-five
reflectstheeducationalapproachofPMI:
years, duringwhich timeshehad raised closeto$1.5 million
tomakeitoneofthefinestschoolsforAfricanAmericanstu- BysocialgracesIdonotmeananattitudeofcheap
dentsin thenation.Studentsweretaughttobe"educationally
efficient,culturallysecure,andreligiouslysincere,"and nearly servility, assumedforthepurposeofcurryingfavor I
every graduate went on to college. Brown herself became a meansimplydoingthecourteousthingandmakinga
popularspeakerandcivicleader,speakingonnationalradioin —
1940and at the International Congress ofWomen in Paris pleasingappearance thepracticeofeverydaygood
in 1945. She received threehonorarydoctoratesandwrotea mannerssogenerallylackingnowadaysIntheconduct
bookofetiquette. TheCorrect ThingtoDo, toSay, to Wear.
Although the school was strong. Brown's health was oftheaverageyoung, regardlessofrace Thelittle
weakening. SheresignedaspresidentofPMI in 1952,choos- courtesies, thegentle voice, correctgrooming, a
ingWilhelminaCrosson of Boston to replaceher. Shedied
knowledgeofwhentosit, whentostand;howtoopen
in 1961 and was buried near the Alice Freeman Palmer
Memorial Building. Crosson kept manythings thesameat andcloseadoor; thecorrectattitudetowardpersons
the school but also started new programs. PMI aided chil- Inauthority;goodmannersInpublicplaces, suchas
dren with learning problems, and a summer program was
started forpoorstudentswhowanted togo tocollege. railroadstations, movingpicturehouses, andother
AfterCrosson retiredin 1966, PMI haddeepeningfinan- places where weareconstantlyunderobservation
cial problems. In February 1971, a fire destroyed theAlice
Freeman Palmer Building, and PMI leaders decided not to InorderfortheNegrotogetevenhalftherecognition
open in thefall.Todaytheschool isastatehistoricsite, the whichhemaydeserve, hemustbeevenmoregracious
firstNorth Carolinahistoricsitehonoringawoman and an
thanothers, morecultured, moreconsiderate, more
African American.
observantoflittlecourtesiesandsocialfinesseIfhe
wouldgainadecentplaceInthesun.
Adaptedfrom text written by the Charlotte Hawkins Brown
MuseumatHistoricPalmerMemorialInstitute
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
" .
Griff DaviS'
Born on the campus ofMorehouse College, Griffith in1949.HewentontoworkasaphotojournalistforBlackStar,
JeromeDavis(1923-1993)attendedOglethorpeLabora- aNewYorkstockphotoagency, from1949 to1952.Asafree-
toryElementarySchoolandAtlantaUniversityLabora- lancerforBlackStarandastringerfortheNewYorkTimes,he
toryHigh School, wherehewas introduced to photography. photographedandwroteextensivelyinAfrica,Europe,andthe
The camera quickly became his primary means for support UnitedStates. Hisworkappearedinvariouspublications, in-
and expression. After serving in the 92nd Infantry Division cludingDerSpeigeLEbony,Fortune,ModemPhotography,Negro
duringWorldWarII,Daviscompletedhiscollegeeducationat Digest,and Time.
Morehouse, where Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr., was a fellow From 1952 to 1985, Davis worked for the U.S. Foreign
student and Langston Hughes was one ofDavis's principal ServicefortheU.S.Agencyfor International Development
professors.Whilestillastudent, Davisshotforvariouspublica- (USAID) and its forerunner, HarryTruman's Point 4 pro-
tions, includingtheAtlantaDailyWorld, Ebony,and Time. gram for foreign aid. Davis served in Liberia,Tunisia, and
DavisbecameEbonymagazine's first RovingEditorupon Nigeria before returning to the United States to direct the
hisgraduation fromMorehouseCollegein1947.Thephoto- Information, Education,andCommunicationbranchofthe
essayonPalmerMemorialInstitutewashisfirstmajorassign- Office ofPopulation at USAID headquarters in Washing-
ment: "Ebonyauthorized me to do a picture article ofthe ton, D.C. He retired from thegovernment in 1985
North Carolinaboardingschoolwheremysistercompleted In 1993,MorehouseCollegehonored Daviswith theBen-
highschool.Thiswasmyfirstbigbreak in photojournalism. nieTrailblazerAward for personal and professional achieve-
I felt ratherproud becauseI hadoriginated the ideaandde- ment.Theaward is named for Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, presi-
velopedtheentiresix-pagestory." dentemeritusofMorehouseCollegeandamentorandfriend
Davis'sphotographyprovidedaccesstomanyofthepolit- ofDavis. "I'm not a philosopher, nor am I a deep thinker,"
ical, cultural, andeconomicplayersofthetimewhocameto Davissaidwhen he received theaward. "I'mjustanobserver
speak,lecture, and teach inAtlanta. In 1948 heleft Ebony10 oflife.Anobserverofhowpeopleactand howpeoplework.
attendColumbiaUniversity'sgraduateschool ofjournalism. Ihavetriedtolivealifethatwouldbeapositiveinfluence,but
TheonlyAfricanAmericanstudentinhisclass, hegraduated influenceoccursin trickles, not indownpours.
Studyinginthelibrary.Every
PIVtlstudentmustpasscollege
entranceexamsbeforegraduation.
^ti'^i'W\'-frr^^f<^'f'
Themes
for Discussion
DoveyDavis, thephotographer'ssister, receivesherdiplomafromDr CharlotteHawkinsBrown.
onsidertheimpactthatGriffDavissphotographsofthe lenge young women to excel in school and business? How
Palmer Memorial Institute might have made when dostudentswhoarechildrenofLatinAmerican immigrants
'theywerefirstpubhshedin Ebony, in1947. Representa- feelabout thepeopleandsituationstheyseeonSpanish-lan-
tionsofmiddle-and upper-classAfricanAmericansdid not guage channels? Are these portrayals different from how
oftenappearin themainstream media. Howmightrural and Latinosaredepicted in English-languageTVshows?
poorAfricanAmericans,aswellasmembersoiwealthierseg- Ask your students to think about what it means that
mentsotblacksociety, haverespondedtothesephotos?How thesepicturesweremadebyanAfricanAmericanphotogra-
do these images relatetoyourstudents' notionsofwhated- pher, for Ebony, amagazineproduced forablackaudience.
ucation and other aspects ot daily life were like forAfrican Ifawhitephotographerfor,say. TimeorLifehadvisitedthe
Americans in thesegregatedSouth? PalmerMemorial Institute, would heorshehavechosen to
At a time when blacks were often excluded from repre- photograph thesamesituationsand moodsthat GriffDavis
sentationsofAmerican popularcultureorsometimes, itde- recorded? Howmightonephotographer'sperspectivebedif-
pictedatall,shownin negative, stereotypical,and/orlimited ferent from another's? Howdodifferent perspectivesaffect
roles, how might these photographs byGriffDavis have re- thewaywe understand history?
inforcedorchallengedAfricanAmericans'senseofself?Your Whatdoyounoticeaboutthewaythatthisexhibitportrays
students might liketodiscusshow modern popculturecon- thePalmerMemorial Institute? Dothephotographs, sounds,
ventionsmakethem feel. Forexample, howdotoday'sglam- and memories all tell the same story, or are different stories
our magazines makegirls feel theyshould lookand act?Are beingtoldhere?Whatvoicesandsoundswouldyouchooseto
thereexamples ofwomen onTVor in magazineswho chal- recordtotell thestoryofyourownschoolexperiences?
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
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Writing and Discussion Activity
GalleryWalk 6. Howdo thesedetails contribute to the overall feelingor
meaningofthephotograph?
Trytogivestudentsatleastten minutes towalkthrough 7. What does the photograph communicateabout its main
thegalleryon theirown, allowingtime fortheirown inter-
subject (person, place, orthing)?
ests tofocustheirattention.
8 Doesthephotographremindyouofanybodyoranyplace
youknow?Why, and howdoes that makeyou feel?
Discussion:
Discussingthephotographs in thiswayallowsstudentsto
Documentary Photography begin to un—derstand that thewayinwhich asubject is pho-
tographed andnotjustwhatis in thephotograph
Thebackgroundinformationonphotographymaybeusefulhere. contributesto thefeelings and messages thatcomefrom
1.Whatarethedifferent types ofsubjects presented in the lookingat the images. Howasubject is photographed and
exhibit (e.g., dailylife, landscapes, social interaction)? themannerinwhich thephotogtapherdecides toportray
thesubject ultimatelyconveya message.
2. Howdothephotographsofthesevarious subjects differ?
Howaretheysimilar?
Discussion or Free-writing:
ReadingIndividual Photographs
Askeachstudenttostandorsitinfontofafavoritephotograph
intheexhibitandbegindiscussion withthefollowingquestions:
1 What aresomeofthedetails in thepicture?
2.Whatmight behappeningoutsideoftheframeofthe
camera?
3.Whymight thephotographerhavechosen to takethe
pictureat this moment?
4. Whatcanyougatherabout the relationships portrayed
in the picture?
5 Whatdo younoticeabout the followingdetails?
CAMERA ANGLE. Whereis the photographerpointing
thecamera?
BACKGROUND. What doyouseebehind themainsub-
jectofthephoto?
EXPRESSION. Iftherearepeoplein thephotos, what do
theirfacesand physical posturestellyouaboutthem?
CONTRAST. Whereare thedifferencesbetween light
anddarkareasofthephotograph, andwhatkindsof
shapesdo theycreate? kshoppingtripinGreensboro
SHADOWS. Whereare therelinescreated bydifferences
betweenlightanddarkareas?
PATTERNS. Are therepatterns in theobjectsorpatterns
created byshadows orcontrastinglight anddarkareas?
CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
The Documentary Arts
Photography and Oral History
Documentary Intentions in In 1931, Harold Edgerton inventedarepeatableelectronic
flashsystemcapableofcapturingstop-actionimages,evolving
Photography Muybridge's work and merging photography with science.
Laterthatdecadetheeraofpicturemagazinesemergedwith
SettingtheScene thebeginningofZ,i/fmagazinein1936,whichcommissioned
photo-essayson manyhuman-interest topics. From 1935 to
Documentaryphotographsareconsideredtobevisual records 1942, the Farm SecurityAdministration (FSA), a branch of
ofevents, people, places, and othersubjects. Because ofthe theUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture,hirednumerous
camera'sabilityto inscribeavisual imageoftheworld before photographers,includingDorotheaLangeandWalkerEvans,
its lens, photography has experienced an ever-evolving rela- to record theAmerican experienceand theeffectsoftheeco-
tionshipwith"reality"anditsdocumentation.Whiletheterm nomicdevastationoftheGreatDepression.
documentarysuggestsauthenticityandobjectivity, photogra- ByWorldWarII, themodernprintmediadevelopedpho-
phyin thisvein isactuallya tarmorecomplexandsubjective tojournalism as a genre and profession. This term refers to
medium.Aphotographerassesses, frames, and presentssub- photographs that communicate news and current events in
jects in aseries ofchoices and controls that reveal his or her newspapersand magazines.
personalperspectiveandartisticintentions.Inaddition,when In 195s, Edward Steichen organized TheFamilyofMan
photographsarecommissioned, theworkmayalsoreflectas- attheMuseumofModernArtinNewYork.Thisprojectex-
pectsofthesponsoringparty'spointofview. pressed an ideologyofuniversal experience through images
oflife in oversixty-eight countries. It was oneofthe most
HistoricalApplications popularphotographyexhibitionsandbookseverpresented.
Succeedinggenerationsofphotographers independently
Since its inception in the mid-nineteenthcentury, photogra- explored and presented fine art documentary subjects, and
phy's useasavisual documenthashad manyapplications. In oftenpublished theirworkin magazinesandbooks. In 1956,
1855, theCrimeanWarbecamethefirst armedconflict tobe RobertFrank'sphotographsin TheAmericanssignaledanew
photographed. European travel photographers ofthat time, documentaryapproach thataffirmed thesubjectivityofthe
suchasJohnThomson and FrancisFrith, recordedplacesex- photographer. Frank'sunglamorousphotographsofAmerica
otictothemand theiraudience, includingChinaand Egypt. presented common, unheroic subjects interpreted through
Inthe1860sinAmerica,MathewBradyandTimothyO'Sulli- unusualvantagepoints,jarringlight, anddifferingdegreesof
vanphotographedCivilWarsoldiers, battlefields, andcasual- focus.These imageswerethoughtofasunpatrioticandwere
ties. From 1865 to1885,theUnitedStatesgovernmentandthe not received positivelyorpopularlyinAmerica, buttheyin-
railroadcompaniessponsoredexpeditionsthatexplored and troduced a new, modern approach to depicting the world,
documented the new frontiers oftheAmericanWest; such which was ultimately extremely influential in photography.
photographers asTimothy O'Sullivan and William Henry Later, in1967,an importantexhibitiontitledNewDocuments
Jacksonwere included. In the1870s, Eadweard Muybridge featuredtheworkofDianeArbus,LeeFriedlander,andGarry
studied motion throughaseriesoftimedphotographsdepict- Winogrand,whosephotographsofthesociallandscapeofthe
ingmenvaultingoverpolesandhorsesgallopingonatrack. timealsobrokewithestablishedrulesofsubject,composition,
At the turn ofthecentury, manyphotographers became andtechnique.
interestedinrecordingcustoms, manners,andsociety.Some, In 1968, the first photographs ofEarth from the moon
such asJacob Riis and Lewis Hine, awakened Americans to wereproduced, followedbyimagesofNeilArmstrong'shis-
the need forsocial reform in urbanslumsbyshowingthede- toric walk on the moon in 1969. Also in 1969, Richard
plorableworkingandlivingconditionsofimmigrantsandchild Nixon'spresssecretary Ron Zieglercoined the term "photo
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laborers.Thesesocialdocumentaryimagesfueledthepassage opportunity" describing situations that would show the
oflawsthatimproved thequalityoflifefortheworkingpoor. President at his best. In 1976, space photography took an-
10 CDS EDUCATORS' GUIDE: PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE