South of South Street

Richard De Wyngaert caught up with photographer Will Brown, formerly of Queen Village, to talk about his new book, South of South Street. Its a release focused on his 1970s-era collection of photographs that captured the essence of a rapidly changing Southwark District.

By Richard De Wyngaert

Embarking on their artistic journeys in the 1970s, both individually and as a newly married couple, Will and Emily Brown were searching for a community. Will, a photographer and professor at Swarthmore, along with Emily, a painter, were keenly interested in the faceted rehabilitation they observed going on in Philadelphia—particularly in Society Hill and Queen Village. They decided the Southwark District would provide the nutrients of a rich beginning—a diverse neighborhood both in people and architecture providing the literal and figurative space to build a community and grow their art. They put down roots in Queen Village.

Early on, Will’s photography was admired by the late Anne d’Harnoncourt, then director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and her husband, Joseph Rishel, the museum’s curator of European Art. They purchased a number of photographs and introduced Will to other museums, collectors, and institutions.

Many one-man shows and group exhibitions followed, and his work was purchased by museums and private collectors. Many of his photographs were chronicled in an earlier book published in 2014, The Picture That Remains, Photographs by Will Brown / Poetry by Thomas Devaney.

Will’s photographs are strong, compelling images of a time and neighborhood. They showcase change, diversity, and a spirited sense of place; the street corner as center stage where beautifully shot examples of urban decay and forgotten storefronts whisper, “I was once important and can be again.” There are also photographs of all types of economic activity that simply stopped, no longer active in the same way: dry cleaners, produce markets, fabric stores. They reflect genuine economic hardship and struggle—a sharp contrast to much of Queen Village today.

The photographs also illustrate examples of graceful, Federal-style architecture punctuated by too-long-neglected houses and boarded-up commercial properties. The economic straits are evident, as are the simple, reverberating joys: smiling children and families, the bonds of sisterhood, and the comfort that comes from being part of a community.

Will Brown’s photographs capture the ever-moving, forever-changing periods to which we often pay little attention— the snapshots of time framed by light and dark, shadow and focus. The contrast is evident in beautiful molding and dirt-layered windows, impressive architectural fortitude punctuated by urban decay.

This period of profound change and struggle in Queen Village is reflected in Will’s photographs, which are available as a collection in the book, South of South Street. The book is available at Head House Books (HeadHouseBooks.com) and other places books are sold. ■

QUEEN VILLAGE QUARTERLY CRIER // www.QVNA.org/crier