Rhode Island has experienced a wave of photo documentation of our stories and history past. Michael Delaney, the former Director of Photography at the Providence Journal noted “The 1940s ushered in a new era in Rhode Island and in photojournalism at the Providence Journal.” Delaney, along with other pioneers of documentary photography in Rhode Island, inspires today’s photographers to document our storied past and educate and inform our Rhode Island communities.
In 2017, I was on a mission. I wanted to delve into Rhode Island’s history and learn more so I went to my local library. In the history section, I stumbled upon the “Providence Journal Rhode Island Memories” book. As I paged through the historic photographs, I fell in love. This book reignited my passion for the history of our Ocean State. From that moment on, I sought out other local photographers and their works that documented Rhode Island. This included Lewis Hine, a pioneer in documentary photography, and Steven Dunwell’s book “The Run of the Mill.”
Fast forward to 2024, I was at the Sott’ Aqua photo exhibit in Providence.
At this event, I was able to reflect on my own work as an artist documenting our industrial history as well as the impact of climate change on our environment. This exhibit featured Providence Journal Photographs of Hurricane Carol and photographs from the Great Flood of Florence. Both were instrumental in documenting climate change.
At the exhibit, I met a few people, one of whom introduced himself as Michael Delaney. I thought to myself, “That name sounds very familiar.” Then it dawned on me. It was him. The creator of Rhode Island Memories was standing in front of me.
Delaney and I sat and chatted about photographers we knew mutually and the storied past of the work of Steve Dunwell and Lewis Hine. As I got to know Delaney, I began to more deeply understand the role of a documentary photographer in their community.
“We as journalists create a first draft of history.” This quote really resonated with me, and I still remember feeling inspired to connect with my home more meaningfully and give back to my community. Having the opportunity to sit and discuss local history and photography with my personal hero is a moment I won’t forget.
Photographers like Michael Delaney, Steve Dunwell, and Lewis Hine have helped pave the way for the visual documentation of our state and beyond. Delaney left me with a hopeful outlook: “In ten, a hundred, a thousand years, maybe we will be able to look back at these photographs, and see what Rhode Island was and its people.”
