Category: Greensboro

A Poignant Moment

Civil Rights, Greensboro, Portraits


As I was watching the first groups tour the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro last week, I noticed an elderly lady in a wheelchair being pushed along the counter of the old Woolworth building where the sit-ins began 50 years ago. The tour leader asked who she was and she told him she was Geneva Tisdale, a former Woolworth employee, who six months after the sit-ins began, was in a small group who were the first African-Americans to be served at the lunch counter. I had the opportunity to speak with her for a few moments. I first asked her if she remembered what day she was served. She shook her head and said she didn’t remember. I then asked her if she remembered what she ate. Suddenly the most incredible smile I have ever seen came over her face. She looked at me and said, “It was an egg salad sandwich.”

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

At the Woolworth Counter

Civil Rights, Greensboro, History

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

As I covered the opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina on Monday, I witnessed several memorable moments. The image that struck me the most was seeing the original Greensboro Four (three of the original group and the son of the fourth) at the original counter where they started their sit-in fifty years ago. From left to right: Joseph McNeil, David “Chip” Richmond Jr. (son of the late David Richmond), Frankin McCain and Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair Jr.) Truly an amazing sight.

Fincastles Diner

Greensboro, Portraits


Yesterday’s opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum was a historic day for Greensboro. I shot the events that took place around the lunch counter at the old Woolworth building and will post some images in the coming days. It was a moving experience.

Just down the street from the museum is another lunch counter, one you can still eat at, and everyone is welcome. Fincastles serves up lunch every day. Buttersteak sandwiches and great burgers and fries along with their signature sauce. And where else can you get serenaded as you eat with old Motown tunes by “Jaybird” Williams, the singing waiter.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

International Civil Rights Center & Museum

Civil Rights, Greensboro

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Greensboro is preparing itself this weekend for the long anticipated opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. The museum will be located in the old Woolworth building on North Elm Street, site of a historic sit-in. Fifty years ago Monday, February 1st, four African-American students from North Carolina A&T University began a sit-in at the all white lunch counter at Woolworth which led to a change in the racial policy there and had a profound effect on the country’s Civil Rights movement. The museum will house the original lunch counter as well as exhibits on the Civil Rights movement from other places. Monday morning there will be the official ribbon cutting and opening of the museum, which will draw visitors and officials from around the country. I am proud to be covering this historical event.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010. On Being a Greensboro Photographer.

Business, Greensboro

(Photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Another year has passed and we are headed into a new one. What will it mean for photography in Greensboro, North Carolina? Guess that’s the big question, at least for me. To be honest, this past year has been pretty rough economically for photography and most other businesses in these parts. Of course, commercial photography is totally dependent on other businesses, so things sometimes compound. 2009 has been a year of low budgets or no budgets for many clients. Photography has become an option for some marketing instead of a necessity. Quality has become less of a key word than the term commodity. Competition for jobs has kept increasing.

What does 2010 have in store for the business of photography in general and for this blog in particular? Lest I dwell too much with what was wrong with the past year, I can honestly say I’m optimistic about the new one, guardedly so, but nonetheless optimistic. I have to be. Photography is my profession, my livelihood, and my passion, and I’m determined to continue in this business. For all you potential clients out there, that means I am open and available for assignments. As for this blog, I intend to try to continue to shoot and post as frequently as I can. I have tried to post daily and share my images and my vision, as it were. Don’t know if I can continue on that schedule, but I will do my darnedest. I can truly say that I enjoy the effort it takes to create new work, and I really think that although the effort hasn’t necessarily created a huge monetary return on my time investment, I think that I am a better photographer than I was before I started posting over a year ago.

I also hope I can begin to understand the phenomena of social networking. I want to figure out if it is truly a way to market myself and disseminate information to a willing group of people, or it’s “the” thing to do at this particular time and will become a way to waste a tremendous amount of time. The jury is still out on that one, although I still have hope.

Happy New Year to each of you. Thanks for letting me share my work with you this year, and may 2010 bring peace, good health and prosperity to us all. Stop by when ever you can.

Photography Show and Exhibit by Dan Routh

Greensboro, Personal, Photography

(Photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

I am stepping away from commercial and advertising work and taking part in a photography show and exhibit on Friday, December 4, 2009 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Studio B Event Center, 520 South Elm Street in Greensboro, in connection with Downtown Greensboro’s First Friday art tour of downtown art venues. Everyone is cordially invited to come by and take at look. It’s free. I will be sharing space with Greensboro aluminum artist Scott Harris. This is something new for me. While I have shown individual pieces in shows and competitions over the years, this will be my first exhibit of this size. I’m excited and hope those who attend will enjoy what we hang. For more info on First Friday, go to http://www.downtownfridays.com/Listings.html.