Withers Collection Museum and Gallery

The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery will identify and digitize its collection of sports-related images as part of an ongoing project to create a comprehensive online image database and finding aid to fulfill research requests received from writers, film makers, students and researchers. The sports collection covers several sports and represents some of the oldest work of photojournalist Dr. Ernest C. Withers, dating back to 1948, when he began capturing images of teams in the Negro Baseball League. The collection includes images of Jackie Robinson, Samuel "The Jet" Jethroe, and Luke Easter that are unknown to public audiences. The project team will work closely with the Negro League Committee and members of the Society of Baseball Researchers to identify people and teams represented in the historic images. Other community resources and subject matter experts will be consulted, as needed, to identify people in other sports images.