New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2007.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Working on a Speech in His Office at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Headquarters

Artist Benedict J. Fernandez (American, b. 1936)

CultureAmerican

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsOverall, Image: 8 1/4 × 12 1/4 in. (21 × 31.1 cm)
Overall: 11 1/4 × 13 15/16 in. (28.6 × 35.4 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 × 24 1/16 in. (50.8 × 61.1 cm)

Credit LineGift of Kodak and Michael S. Engl

Object number97.17.11

Not on view

DescriptionThis gelatin silver print depicts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his office at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Headquarters in Atlanta. He is shown working on one of his speeches. He is sitting at a desk surrounded by bookshelves full of books.

Label TextDr. Martin Luther King, Jr., working on a speech in his office at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Headquarters, Atlanta, 1967 Gelatin silver print, ca. 1989 Gift of Kodak and Michael S. Engl 97.17.11 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, (SCLC), was formed in 1957 choosing as its motto: "To save the soul of America." King, who served as its president until his death, said that in forming the group, "We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from its self until the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear." Harnessing the moral authority and organizing power of black churches the SCLC applied the principles of nonviolent protest with great success by strategically choosing the method of protest and the places in which protests were carried out. There were often dramatic stand-offs with segregationist authorities. Sometimes these confrontations turned violent. The SCLC was among the organizers for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Approval Date: 09/2008Exhibition History"Countdown to Eternity: Photographs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Ben Fernandez," Kaufman Theatre Lobby, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA., September 26, 2008 - March 1, 2009. "Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, from the Museum Collection", THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART, NORFOLK, VA, February 6 - May 31, 1998. "Civil Rights Photography," Newseum, Arlington, Virginia, January 8 - April 30, 2001.