Spider Martin
Encyclopedia
James "Spider" Martin was an American
photographer known for his work documenting the American Civil Rights Movement.
Martin was born in Fairfield, Alabama
. His best known photograph document of the civil rights era is the March 1965 beating of marchers in the Selma to Montgomery march
. Known as “Bloody Sunday”, the event that greatly influenced the course of civil rights in the U.S. About the effect of photography on the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr.
said, "Spider, we could have marched, we could have protested forever, but if it weren't for guys like you, it would have been for nothing. The whole world saw your pictures. That's why the Voting Rights Act was passed."
Martin believed because of his small stature, just over five feet tall, that he was able to canvas through a crowd to get some of his best close-ups.
Martin’s photographs are on display in the Smithsonian and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
. He was also published in Life
and Saturday Evening Post. A selection of his work was exhibited in the Cannon Rotunda in Washington, D.C. in honor of all who sacrificed in the Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery. Martin also exhibited in Agnes
. He died by suicide in 2003 in Blount Springs, Alabama
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer known for his work documenting the American Civil Rights Movement.
Martin was born in Fairfield, Alabama
Fairfield, Alabama
Fairfield is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover Metropolitan Area. The population was 12,381 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the Census estimates the population to be 11,547.-History:...
. His best known photograph document of the civil rights era is the March 1965 beating of marchers in the Selma to Montgomery march
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
. Known as “Bloody Sunday”, the event that greatly influenced the course of civil rights in the U.S. About the effect of photography on the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
said, "Spider, we could have marched, we could have protested forever, but if it weren't for guys like you, it would have been for nothing. The whole world saw your pictures. That's why the Voting Rights Act was passed."
Martin believed because of his small stature, just over five feet tall, that he was able to canvas through a crowd to get some of his best close-ups.
Martin’s photographs are on display in the Smithsonian and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a large interpretive museum and research center in Birmingham, Alabama that depicts the struggles of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s...
. He was also published in Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
and Saturday Evening Post. A selection of his work was exhibited in the Cannon Rotunda in Washington, D.C. in honor of all who sacrificed in the Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery. Martin also exhibited in Agnes
Agnes (gallery)
Agnes was a Birmingham, Alabama photography gallery from 1993 to 2001. Shawn Boley, Jon Coffelt and Jan Hughes opened the gallery with the mission of attempting to raise awareness of social issues — such as cancer, AIDS, death and dying, the environment, homelessness, ethics, racism,...
. He died by suicide in 2003 in Blount Springs, Alabama
Blount Springs, Alabama
-History:Blount Springs's mineral springs and rural setting made it a summer resort for thousands of wealthy people from Alabama and elsewhere in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sulfur springs were renowned for their curative properties...
.
External links
- Official Website
- Who Was Spider Martin?
- About Spider by Ed Mullins
- Birmingham Weekly (Cover Story) photography by Spider Martin
- WBHM Public Radio-Voices of the Civil Rights Movement
- Birmingham News Glosses Over Its Racist Past