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Jim Alexander
Jim alexander.jpg
Born (1935-08-07) August 7, 1935 (age 89)
Waldwick, New Jersey, U.S.
Years active 1950s–present
Known for Photography

Jim Alexander was born on August 7, 1935. He is an American documentary photographer, photojournalist, activist, and teacher. He is famous for being a "Participant Observer" in his work. This means he takes pictures while also being part of the events he photographs. His photos often show human rights issues and black culture.

In 1995, the City of Atlanta chose him as the first "Master Artist" for their yearly program. Later, in 2006, he was added to The HistoryMakers, which records the stories of important African Americans.

Early Life

Jim Alexander was born James Alexander in Waldwick, New Jersey. He was one of 12 children. His father, David Alexander, was an auto mechanic, and his mother was Frances James Alexander. Jim went to Waldwick Public School and Ramsey High School. He grew up at a time when it was hard for Black people in America to get ahead financially.

His Photography Journey

How It Started

In 1952, when Jim was 17, he joined the U.S. Navy. While at Navy boot camp, something special happened. He won his first camera, a Kodak "Brownie Hawkeye," in a friendly dice game. Right away, Jim started using his new camera. He sold photos to other sailors for fifty cents each.

After boot camp, he moved to Charleston, S.C.. There, he trained to be a diesel engineman. He asked the naval base photographer to look at his pictures. The photographer then taught him about different types of photography. After leaving the Navy in 1956, Jim stopped photography for a few years. He managed a pool hall and cleaned cars. He lived in a small room above the pool hall.

In 1964, he moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey. He started his professional career as a freelance photographer. Jim also took business classes at Rutgers University. He earned a degree in commercial photography from the New York Institute of Photography in 1968.

During the important human rights movement, Jim began taking pictures of anti-war protests and civil rights events. He also photographed how people reacted after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. His photos showed marches, rallies, meetings, festivals, and everyday Black life. He called this collection of work Spirits/Martyrs/Heroes. He kept adding to it over the years. The collection covers many topics from the 1960s until now. It includes human and civil rights, politics, music, art, and people who worked for equality.

Capturing Music Icons

Jim Alexander is also known for his photos of Black-inspired music, especially jazz and blues. He noticed that music often started many events he photographed. He began to see how important music was to the African American community. He realized how much musicians mattered. "I am just a lover of music," he said. "There was a lot going on in the '50s and '60s, in New Jersey. All the little clubs had a trio or quartet playing. I was really listening to the music." He decided to include Black music in his work.

In 1988, Jim created his own exhibit called Blues Legacy. It was for the first National Black Arts Festival. That same year, he also put together Duke and Other Legends: Jazz Photographs by Jim Alexander. This exhibit showed 50 famous jazz musicians. It traveled to 13 southern cities. This tour was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Southern Arts Federation.

Jim has spent many years photographing jazz musicians. Some of these include Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie.

Learning from Gordon Parks

Jim Alexander met and became friends with the famous documentary photographer Gordon Parks in 1968. Parks greatly influenced Jim's photography career. Parks told him, "A photo can be taken to build, or it can be taken to destroy. That choice is up to the photographer." Jim understood how his pictures could make people more aware of important issues.

Jim wanted to spend ten years taking photos of human rights and the Black experience. He told Parks about his idea. Parks warned him that it would be hard to make money doing only that. So, Jim decided to teach photography to others while still doing his documentary work on the side. Parks approved of this plan. More than fifty years later, Jim Alexander still continues his documentary photography.

Jim believes that every photo sends a deep message to the person looking at it. His photos look like they were taken by a "participant observer." Jim explains that a participant observer knows their presence affects the scene. But they still try to act like a viewer. Jim's photos help bring attention to serious human rights problems in the United States over many decades.

Jim as an Educator

Jim Alexander has taught and guided many students in photography. He has worked at places like Yale University, Emory University, Spelman College, and Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University).

In 1970, Yale University hired him as a consultant and photography teacher. He also led a community arts group from 1972 to 1976.

In 1976, Jim and his family moved to Atlanta. He became the director of audiovisual communications for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. This group helped Black family farmers in the South keep and expand their land.

From 1984 to 1990, Jim was the Photographer-in-Residence at Clark College. He started a program to mentor students who worked on the campus newspaper and yearbook. He also photographed important events leading up to the merger of Atlanta University and Clark College.

The Neighborhood Arts Center (NAC) started in 1975. It became a key place for Atlanta's Black Arts Movement. In 1977, Jim became the photographer in residence at The NAC. He worked to keep the historical values of the center alive. In 1978, Jim photographed a visit to the NAC by Romare Bearden, a famous artist, and his wife Nanette Bearden.

Jim strongly believes in "art for people's sake." In 1972, he started an organization called Freedom Arts Communications Team (F.A.C.T. INC.). F.A.C.T. was a group of artists, musicians, writers, and community helpers. They created a visiting artist program for young people and adults in New Haven, CT. They did this by holding a community arts festival and working with schools.

From 1996 to 1999, Jim was a coordinator and teacher for a youth photography program. It was called "As Seen by Teens." This summer program taught young students about photojournalism. It helped them feel better about themselves and their communities. The program encouraged creativity and taught students to respect themselves and reach their goals.

From 1998 to 2000, Jim directed the Arts for All gallery. This group helped people in Georgia with disabilities or disadvantages get involved in arts education.

First World Bookstore

Jim Alexander loves education, reading, and Black culture. In 1988, he helped start First World Bookstores in Atlanta, GA. The stores mostly sold African American books, gifts, and art. They grew to five stores in the Atlanta area before closing in 1994.

Jim-Alex Studio Gallery

In 1971, while in New Haven, CT, Jim opened his own photo studio, Jim-Alex Studio Gallery. He showed his own work and the work of other photographers. The studio became a meeting place for artists and activists. Community meetings were often held there. Jim jokes, "Everything happened in my studio but photography."

Organizations He Helped

Jim Alexander has helped start several groups for professional photographers. These include the Photographers' Collective, the Atlanta Photographers Group, and Zone Three. He also helped found the National Black Media Coalition. He was president of African Americans for the Arts (AAFTA) for two terms. Jim is also a member of the American Photography Archives Group (APAG). This group helps people who own private photography collections. He is also part of the National Alliance of Artists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (NAAHBU). This group features artists who have taught or studied at HBCUs.

Selected Shows and Exhibits

  • 2018: Live the Legacy Series Installation #1, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2018: The Spiritual Beauty & Resilience in America, National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture, Montgomery, AL. (Group Show)
  • 2017: Jim Alexander: Preserving the Legacy, Chace Upper Gallery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2017: Soulful Images by Jim Alexander, APEX Museum, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2016: Jim Alexander: Participant Observer, Tubman African American Museum, Macon, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2014: Romare at the NAC, Fulton County Arts and Culture Southwest Arts Center, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2013: Congo Square to Symphony Hall, Lamar Dodd Art Center. Lagrange, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2011: Black Music After 1968: The Photography of Jim Alexander, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte, NC. (Solo Show)
  • 2009: Blues Roots and Branches, Central Library Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2009: Jazz Photography by Jim Alexander, Hayti Heritage Center, Durham, NC. (Solo Show)
  • 2008: Classic Jazz: Photos by Jim Alexander, The Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Toronto, Ontario Canada. (Solo Show)
  • 2007: Spirits / Martyrs / Heroes, Broadway & LRC Galleries. Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ. (Solo Show)
  • 2006: Jazz, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2005: Jim Alexander: Photographer, Hammond's House Galleries, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Retrospective Show)
  • 2003: Enduring Legacy: Photographs by Jim Alexander, Schatten Gallery, Emory University. Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2002: Jim Alexander: Photographer, Atlanta History Center. Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 2000: Still Here: Swinging, Jazz Photographs by Jim Alexander, NBAF 2000, Virginia Lacy Jones Exhibition Hall. Atlanta University Center, Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)
  • 1995: Jim Alexander: Telling Our Story, City Gallery East. Atlanta, GA. (Inaugural Atlanta Masters Exhibit. Solo Show)
  • 1988 – 1989: Duke and Other Legends: Jazz Photographs by Jim Alexander, Exhibit Toured Museums and Galleries in Ten Southern States. (Solo Show)
  • 1988: Blues Legacy, Apex Museum. Atlanta, GA. (Solo Show)

Collections

Jim Alexander's works are kept in many important collections, including:

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