The following is an excerpt from Madison County Magazine.
Lemuria embarked on a bold endeavor a couple of years ago when John Evans suggested to photographer Ken Murphy that they create a book on Jackson in the same classic style as Ken’s previous books: My South Coast Home, Mississippi, and Mississippi: State of Blues. Lemuria had never published a book before, but we wanted to contribute to our community. What better way than to publish a book? When Ken began submitting photographs of downtown Jackson I could not help but remember Eudora Welty’s recollection of the first time her family went to the top of the Lamar Life Building:
“When the new Lamar Life Building was going up, I remember my father, who in those years was General Manager of the company, taking the greatest pride and a daily exhilaration in the workmanship of it. No wonder he was proud of the beauty of what was happening. I think he felt its climax was the clock; but all the way up to that tower he personally loved and endorsed every stone that was laid, every gargoyle that peeped forth from the various stages . . . My father led the whole family by the fireescape, a romantic climb; and it was lovely and worth every step to stand on the roof where the tar was just hard enough to receive our weight, and the clock just as close as your hand, and to look out at the wonderful and unfamiliar view of Jackson, seen for the first time as a whole, in one sweep.” -Eudora Welty from “A Salute from One of the Family” Lamar Life Insurance Company, Tower of Strength in the Deep South: 50th Anniversary 1906-1956.
Even if our contribution is not as grand as the Lamar Life Building, we know the pride that grows when we contribute to our community. Whether it be the St. Paddy’s Day Parade or Fondren Unwrapped or familiar neighborhood hangouts, like Bully’s or Brent’s, these scenes come from the hard work and creativity of Jackson’s people, who make it a wonderful place to live. Put yourself on the page and support Jackson’s culture through your time and your patronage to our many local businesses, museums, landmarks and parks. While our homes are scattered across the metro area, our support of each other will grow the vibrancy of the entire region.
Please join us on August 5 at 5:00 at Lemuria as we launch Jackson: Photographs by Ken Murphy.
Written by Lisa Newman
Madison County Magazine is Madison County’s only lifestyle publication covering the arts, culture and entertainment and covers events and areas all over the state of MIssissippi.
Jackson: photographs by Ken Murphy is available now for purchase. To order a copy, call Lemuria Books at 601.366.7619 or visit us online at lemuriabooks.com. Please join us in celebrating Jackson on August 5th at 5:00 in Banner Hall!
Comments are closed.