Little Rock Central High Website

50 years after the Central High Crisis, the city of Little Rock will be all over the news today. My University being in Little Rock, we’ve devoted alot of time to campus events, panel discussions, and community programs surrounding the anniversary.

“Anniversary” just isn’t the right word to use here. But for lack of a better word, I’m seeing it often.

A few months back we were thrown the task of creating a web presence for our university’s involvement in the event. The goal of such a web presence being a calendar of those involvements.

My design is ok. It could be better. The archival photography page was interesting to develop, because sifting through old photographs from our Library Collections Department was an amazing experience.

In the process I learned a great deal about several of the photographers who were on-hand 50 years ago, specifically, Will Counts, the man behind numerous photographs but one in particular that made front pages around the world:

Will Counts was able to take the photograph not only because he was a great photographer, but because he wasn’t screened out of the area by local authorities. Counts, being a local, purposely wore casual clothing instead of wearing a suit like all the other photographers. For all intents and purposes he appeared to be part of the mob.

Another of Will Counts photographs, taken of a mob walking towards the High School, is even more amazing:

The presence of mind to see those two boys and walk around behind them, to capture the scene from their point of view, …now that’s photojournalism.