MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — An extraordinary and exclusive one-day photographic exhibition featuring the rarely seen works of Ernest C. Withers and second-generation photographer Rome Withers will debut from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 17, at Middle Tennessee State University’s McFarland Building, 654 Founders Lane.

This first-time public unveiling presents a curated selection of pictorial works capturing vintage weddings in Memphis during the 1950s and 1960s, offering an intimate look into Black life, love, and celebration during the Civil Rights era. These photographs, preserved within the Ernest C. Withers Historical Home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, have been newly digitized, making them accessible to contemporary audiences for the first time. 

The exhibition also features powerful imagery from the 2008 funeral of music legend Isaac Hayes, reflecting a continuum of cultural memory and artistic documentation rooted in Memphis’s rich historical landscape. Together, the works highlight a legacy of visual storytelling that spans generations. 

This project is the result of a collaborative academic initiative led by MTSU photography students under the instruction and guidance of Jonathan Trundle, associate professor of photography in the Media Arts Department within the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, and in collaboration with Mytecia Myles, lecturer in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. 

Through hands-on archival practice, students digitized and preserved historically significant images, contributing to both scholarship and public history. 

Organizers said the exhibition “represents both a historic unveiling and an educational milestone. It bridges generations of photographic practice while creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage with cultural preservation and community impact.” 

The exhibition is open to the public and invites scholars, students, community members, and media to experience this landmark presentation of Memphis’s photographic heritage. 

Off-campus visitors may purchase a $4/day parking pass through the Parking and Transportation Services’ visitor parking permit form. A campus parking map is available at bit.ly/2026parkingmap.

About the Withers Photographic Foundation 

The Ernest C. Withers Historical Photographic Foundation preserves and promotes the extensive archive of Ernest C. Withers, whose work documented the civil rights movement and everyday Black life in the American South. The foundation is committed to education, cultural preservation, and expanding access to this vital visual history.