Withers Collection Museum & Gallery

This museum and gallery is one of the most surprising places I have ever been. Nestled amidst the chaos of Beale Street, the Withers Collection is actually one of the most powerful spaces in the whole city of Memphis.
Mr. Withers’ photography is not only historically worthy (though the photos he took — including some that he sold to major publications without credit in order to publicize the Civil Rights Movement — are indispensable artifacts of American history), but it is also aesthetically incredible. Even if the photos were portraits of random or unknown individuals, they would be beautiful. Add the fact that they show Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Meredith, to name but a few, and you’re talking about a peerless collection.
Mr. Withers deserves recognition as a civil rights hero in his own right, for bravely documenting so many of the crucial moments of pain and victory of the Movement. Thinking about how scary it is to photograph a police officer in 2015, the significance of these photographs only increases.
Normally you have to pay $ 15 – 30 admission to a major art institution to see work this good. The fact that the gallery is free and open to the public is incredible and a testament to the vision of its stewards, all of whom seem incredibly passionate and dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Mr. Withers’ work to the widest possible audience.
The photos are especially impactful in light of recent events such as the Charleston race massacre and the numerous instances of police brutality against Black men in the past year that have helped publicize the continued need for courageous, selfless heroes like Mr. Withers and his subjects.
If you are in Memphis, don’t miss the Withers Collection.

A can’t-miss attraction on Beale Street.
Mr Withers witness all sides of the civil rights movement.
This exhibit spurs discussion and thought.

My girlfriend is younger than me by about two years. She either hasnt grasped the concept of being old or she actively rejects it. She often has urges to «go out» and a simple dinner and movie date isnt going to suffice.
One weekend, she wanted to go down Beale Street since we had never been. It was during the winter, so most of Beale was deserted. We took a quick lap, and after buying a few beers and a few trinkets, we we’re stopped by a yound man in a suit in front of a well-​lit establishment. He encouraged us to go in and he was so different than the snake-​oil salesman you typically find on Beale that we were obliged to comply.
The building we entered turned out to be a musuem. Most of the space is occupied by civil rights imagery, but there are also sports and entertainment figures. My favorite picture was a group of sanitation workers holding signs that read «I am a man»; those signs still resonate about 60 years later. I liked the poster so much my girlfriend actually brought it for my for Valentine’s day and it is the only piece of art I have in my apartment.
We were lucky enough to be escorted through the musuem by Clarence (I think) who was dropping some serious knowledge bombs. Typically, the musuem is self-​guided, though. I think the pictures once belonged in a private collection and were donated to the location and are now being displayed publicly. You can buy a print of any of the photos, and they do framing and all on site. There is no fee to enter, but they do ask for donations.
Oh, yea, there is a private room in the back. There was a super talented band performing and a small kitchen. The small kitchen was throwing up some serious flavor, though. We ordered the banana pudding cake and it was served in a beatiful martini glass and tasted amazing. Unfortunately, we didnt get to try the savory cupcakes (you read that right — they have flavors like meatloaf in a cupcake!)
The musuem is a reminder of why Memphis is such a historically important and impressive city.

Great museum I only came across Bc there was a dj and a guy out front announcing it and the café. Only went to the museum part and it was edycational. The pictures made you feel as if you were there when history was made.
It was free to get in with a donation and I saw that you can order replicas. Great place to kill time from the drinking and crowds on Beale.

One of the best free experiences of my life. Not only did I learn a ton of information I hadn’t known before I entered the museum, I also got to see pictures not available many other places.
This museum gives you a look at Beale Street before it became the party street it is today. A lot of history around Memphis. I’d take anyone in Memphis to experience this.
There are dozens of pictures and whatever is on the wall is for sale, but you can not take pictures of the pictures with your phones.

Fantastic (small) gallery with some amazing photos. I almost didn’t walk this far down Beale, but I’m glad I did. Sometimes photos can tell more than any words and it was a great peek into the history of civil rights. I was the only one inside and it seems to me that no one knows they are there.

An amazing place to check out to understand the history of civil rights and America as a whole. It is an amazing look at the past through Ernest Withers’ eyes. Everyone from Medgar Evers, Tina Turner, Ralph David Abernathy to Jesse Jackson, B.B. King, and Martin Luther King Jr are represented in the plethora of pictures on the wall at the price of FREE to experience. Replicas of all pictures can be purchased at a fee. A must see if you have never been to Memphis in my opinion.