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James Conway Farley (August 10, 1854 – after 1910) was a photographer in
In May 1875, Farley became a photographer for G. W. Davis against the opposition of the other four employees, all of whom were white. Davis supported Farley and discharged the other four. The firm continued to have difficulty hiring white people, but Farley grew in skill and in 1879 was operator of the gallery. Farley's work was widely exhibited, including at the Colored Industrial Fair in Richmond in 1884, where he won a first prize, and the
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
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. He was the proprietor of the Jefferson Fine Arts Gallery from 1895 into the 1900s. He is known as the first nationally recognized African-American photographer.
Early life
James Conway Farley was born a slave in Prince Edward County, Virginia, on August 10, 1854. Both of his parents were slaves. In 1861 he moved with his mother to Richmond, Virginia in 1861, where she worked as a store-room keeper at the Columbia Hotel and he assisted in candle-making and learned to read. He later was apprenticed to the baker's trade, but quitSimmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. ''Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising''. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. pp. 801–804. and took work in the chemical department of the C. R. Rees photography company.Jackson, Millicent Lownes, and Linda T. Wynn. ''Encyclopedia of African American Business''. Edited by Jessie Carney Smith. Vol. 1. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, pp. 287–288.Career
In May 1875, Farley became a photographer for G. W. Davis against the opposition of the other four employees, all of whom were white. Davis supported Farley and discharged the other four. The firm continued to have difficulty hiring white people, but Farley grew in skill and in 1879 was operator of the gallery. Farley's work was widely exhibited, including at the Colored Industrial Fair in Richmond in 1884, where he won a first prize, and the World Cotton Centennial
The World Cotton Centennial (also known as the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition) was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States in 1884. At a time when nearly one third of all cotton produced in the United Sta ...
in New Orleans
New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Farley left the Davis Gallery in 1895 to start his own establishment, the Jefferson Fine Arts Gallery. Farley was a member of the
''Richmond Planet'' (Richmond, Virginia), May 31, 1902, p. 1, accessed December 8, 2016. Farley was a delegate to the May 1902 Virginia Baptist State Convention where he spoke in favor of black businesses."Virginia Baptist State Convention"
''Richmond Planet'' (Richmond, Virginia) May 24, 1902, p. 1, accessed December 8, 2016. Farley was a member of the board of directors of the Mechanics Savings Bank of Richmond led by '' Richmond Planet'' editor John Mitchell, Jr. in the 1900s. A number of Farley's photographs appeared in the ''Planet''.
File:Virginia Baptist State Convention 1902.jpg, Virginia Baptist State Convention in 1902
File:Richmond Knights of Pythias, May 20 1902.jpg, Image of the Richmond Knights of Pythias in front of the Mechanics Savings Bank taken by Farley on May 20, 1902.
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was found ...
, Richmond Lodge No. 1."The Grand Lodge Session"''Richmond Planet'' (Richmond, Virginia), May 31, 1902, p. 1, accessed December 8, 2016. Farley was a delegate to the May 1902 Virginia Baptist State Convention where he spoke in favor of black businesses."Virginia Baptist State Convention"
''Richmond Planet'' (Richmond, Virginia) May 24, 1902, p. 1, accessed December 8, 2016. Farley was a member of the board of directors of the Mechanics Savings Bank of Richmond led by '' Richmond Planet'' editor John Mitchell, Jr. in the 1900s. A number of Farley's photographs appeared in the ''Planet''.
Personal life
Farley married Rebecca P. Robinson of Amelia County, Virginia, on December 10, 1876. They had five children. Farley was also a deacon in the First Baptist Church in Richmond. Farley lived until at least 1910, when he was residing in Jersey City, New Jersey.Year: 1910; Census Place: Jersey City Ward 8, Hudson, New Jersey; Roll: T624_891; p. 4A; Enumeration District: 0169; FHL microfilm: 1374904 accessed at Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Legacy
Farley is known as the first black American to gain recognition as a photographer. Few of Farley's works survive, and one remaining is held in the Valentine Museum in Richmond.Gallery
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, James C. 1854 births Artists from Richmond, Virginia People from Prince Edward County, Virginia Activists for African-American civil rights African-American photographers 19th-century American photographers 20th-century American photographers Year of death missing 20th-century African-American artists