Wanda and I took a break this week to see the movie, "The Help." As I watched the story unfold on the "big screen", I was vividly reminded of my friend, Don Rutledge, who's life has mirrored that of the main character in the movie; Skeeter. Where Skeeter used a pen to create her work, Don used a camera.
Early in his career, Don took on a self assignment to photograph a white writer (John Howard Griffin) who had found a way to make his skin dark to disguise his true race. Don photographed this man as he experienced the life of a black man in New Orleans and deep south in the early sixties. The book, "Black Like Me," accompanied with Don's photographs became a national "best seller." www.stanleyleary.com/Don.htm
I first met Don while I was in the midst of a career change to pursue photography and working at Old Dominion Camera in Richmond. I finalized his purchase of a "brick" of 35mm slide film he would be using for a story for Black Star Photo Agency in New York. Shortly after his purchase, I walked into a restaurant a few doors down and passed Don already having lunch. He asked me to join him and we made a point to get together for lunch every few months after that time. Before Don retired and after my own career began to take off, we would volunteer our time speak together at schools, etc. He would talk about his travels and photojournalism; I would talk about portraits of individuals and how both disciplines complemented each other in telling a visual story of the subject.
Now retired and living in Midlothian, Don Rutledge spent a lifetime using a camera to communicate to the world, the lives of individuals from all walks of life and distant lands. (144 different countries and every state in the Union) In his career, he photographed notable figures such as Loretta Lynn (before she became famous) as well as the engineers and scientist at NASA. This work contrasted his most notable work photographing individuals, both poor and wealthy. No one did it better than Don. His quiet, almost unassuming demeanor disguised a true talent, a tenacious spirit and uncompromising attitude for his work as well as a caring spirit for the people he photographed. He retired from the Foreign Mission Board bases in Richmond in the late nineties.
Long story short; when you see the movie: "The Help", remember my good friend, Don who has always reminded me to keep a "childhood curiosity" for the world around us.
Photograph by: Robert Harris
Don Rutledge at home with his wife, Lucy. Don is now retired after experiencing lasting effects from several strokes in the past few years.
To view a Thesis written about Don's career, go to:
www.stanleyleary.com/Newsletters/Thesis.pdf
