Marjory Wilkins (right)
Syracuse lost one of its best known photographers last week.
Marjory Wilkins, who passed away at age 81, used her camera to richly document people, places, and events in our city. One of my favorite of her photos is of former Syracuse Police officer Willie Gilbert.
Mrs. Wilkins is pictured here at a show that celebrated her work a few years ago.
Marjory Wilkins with her brother Raymond Werts
We will certainly miss her activism, insight and talents.
Photographer Marjory Wilkins shows us that aging gracefully can become a work of art. She has spent most of her life documenting life here in Syracuse. Her gallery show (curated by historian Nancy Keefe Rhodes) opened last night at Light Work.
The show was attended by family members, friends, artists and members of the photographic community. I spoke with her brother Raymond Werts and he said he and Ms. Wilkins playfully argued over the date of a photo in which he appeared. Mr. Werts also pointed out that in one of the photographs (cir. 1940s) there were new cars that cost around 400 dollars.
Ms. Wilkins’ work reminds me a lot of the photo-documentation done by Pittsburgh’s Teenie Harris.
We photographers can learn from her vision and her work, but we could learn more from her giving spirit.