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Jack Leigh letters
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: Jack Leigh letters | |
| Creator: Leigh, Jack, 1948-2004 | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1983-1986 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 0.25 Linear Feet 1 box | |
| Collection Number: ms3917 | |
| Repository: Hargrett Library | |
Collection Description
Historical Note
Jack Leigh was a documentary and portrait photographer from Savannah, Georgia. He began his professional career in photography in 1972 after graduating from the University of Georgia. His photographic objective was always to seek out and record the people, environments, and rapidly passing lifestyles of his native region, the American South. In the early to mid-1980s, he photographed and toured an exhibition with Doug Brown, Hank Margeson and Dennis O'Kain. He went on to author six highly acclaimed photographic books: Oystering: A Way of Life (foreword by James Dickey, 1983), The Ogeechee: A River and Its People (1986), Nets and Doors: Shrimping in Southern Waters (1989), Seaport: A Waterfront at Work (1996), The Land I'm Bound To (foreword by Pat Conroy, 2000), and Ossabaw: Evocations of an Island (with James Kilgo and Alan Campbell, 2004). His photographs have been exhibited widely throughout the country and abroad. Leigh is best known for his photograph entitled "Midnight" which appeared on the cover of the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994), by John Berendt. Shortly after the publication of this book Leigh opened a photograph gallery in Savannah which showcased not only his work but also other artists who either trained or apprenticed with him. Leigh passed away in May of 2004 after a battle with colon cancer.
Scope and Content
The collection consists primarily of letters and postcards written to Jack Leigh's friend and a fellow photographer Doug Brown. The letters focus on the topics of family, photography exhibitions, publications, and photography at the Ogeechee River. Also included are photographs from their Ogeechee trip, slides of Jack Leigh at Lake Blackshear, near Albany, Georgia, and a proposal for the book The Ogeechee: A River and Its People
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Jack Leigh letters, ms 3917, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.
Finding Aid Publication
Finding aid prepared on: 2015.