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Black Life Through the Lens of Elrich Murphy

Exhibit Opening and Lecture

Join us for the opening of the Elrich Murphy Photograph Collection, featuring a lecture by Char McCargo Bah and Murphy's daughter Rita Harris.

Join us to learn about the life and work of Elrich Murphy, a prolific photographer whose work captured African American life in Alexandria like no other. See the photos on display, and enjoy a presentation from local author, historian, and genealogist Char McCargo Bah. She will be joined by Elrich Murphy's daughter, Rita Harris.

Light refreshments will be available before the program begins.

Registration is encouraged but not required. This event will be recorded.

About the exhibit
Elrich Murphy, a professional photographer, documented everyday life within Alexandria’s African American community throughout the mid-20th century. Born in 1909, Murphy attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Alexandria and Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C. 

Murphy worked at William J. Gallery and Co., a Washington, D.C. supplier of religious goods. His photography career began in the 1930s as a hobby with a simple box camera. Over time, he amassed a collection of more than 2,500 images featuring family portraits, children, weddings, graduations, formal gatherings, and scenes of daily life. 

Murphy’s photographs reveal a community determined to live life to the fullest, celebrating milestones, nurturing families, and building a vibrant social and cultural world, while offering a vivid window into the resilience, culture, and identity of Alexandria’s African American residents. This exhibit presents a selection of his remarkable work, honoring his legacy and the stories he preserved.

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