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Representing the earliest days of Talladega, a 156-year-old,
historically Black college, the images provide insights into what life
was like for the campus community. Photos from the college farm, for
example, appear bucolic but also are reminders that the institution had
to be mostly self-sufficient during the Reconstruction era in the Deep
South.
Thomas’ professor, Debra Hess Norris, takes a hands-on, “learn by
doing” approach to teaching the class called “ARTC 657, Photograph
Conservation,” which she has taught for 40 years. A member of UD’s Board
of Trustees, Norris also is director of the Winterthur/UD program, one
of only four art conservation graduate programs in the nation. By some
estimates, half of all photograph conservators in the U.S. have been
trained by Norris.
“The students learn about the technology, identification, deterioration, and preservation of historic and contemporary photographic prints and negatives in a compressed period of time,” Norris said. “But more than any technical skill mastered, I want my students to come away from this class appreciating the importance and value of our photographic heritage.
“By preserving these images from Talladega College, our students are making a contribution to cultural preservation in an immediate and tangible way.”
Talladega College has had several notable alumni over the years, including businesswoman Eunice Walker Johnson. Early in his career, distinguished artist David Driskell taught art at Talladega College. Trice regularly receives requests to access the college’s photo collections from researchers studying these and other individuals from the Talladega community. But, just as important, he said, are the inquiries he gets from individuals doing personal genealogy research.