View Static Version
Loading

Highlights of the Barry Bingham, JR. Courier-Journal Photographic Collection At the University of Louisville Archives and Special Collections

Presented here is an assortment of photographs shot for the Courier-Journal and Times newspaper of Louisville, Kentucky. Now at the Photographic Archives division of the University of Louisville Archives and Special Collections, the Barry Bingham, Jr. Courier-Journal Photographic Collection comprises approximately three million images spanning the majority of the twentieth century and documenting a wide-ranging variety of events and topics relating to Louisville and Kentucky.

Coverage of everything from the Kentucky Derby to the life of hometown hero Muhammad Ali are included, as are local politics and visits by national politicians; a variety of social justice movements, high school, collegiate, and professional sports; celebrities, disasters and scandals; an array of intimate local-interest stories, and so much more.

Photojournalism flourished at The Courier-Journal while under the direction of Barry Bingham, Jr. who invested heavily in the photography division. Bingham understood the significance of powerful journalistic storytelling and left behind a legacy of diversity and innovation. Under Bingham's direction, the paper was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1976 for a comprehensive pictorial report on busing in Louisville's schools, and again in 1980 for International Reporting for stories and photographs of Cambodian refugees.

Enjoy this selection of photographic highlights while the archivists at the University of Louisville work to process the entire collection to make it accessible to the public over the next few years.

This photograph, showing the furious stretch battle between jockeys Don Meade on Brokers Tip (right) and Herb Fisher on Head Play, at the finish of the 1933 Kentucky Derby, was almost an accident. Courier-Journal photographer Wallace Lowery lay on the ground, stuck his camera under the rail and shot. This picture is the result. It is probably the most widely circulated picture in the history of the Derby. May 1933. By Wallace Lowery, The Courier-Journal.
Rescuers arrive at the Hoblitzell home during flooding in Louisville. 1937. By George Bailey, The Courier-Journal.
Muhammad Ali tapes his hands in a restroom at Trinity High School, 4011 Shelbyville Road, before fighting a pair of exhibition matches at the school. Several amateur matches also were on the card for the Golden Gloves Benefit show last night. Dec. 10, 1976. By Dan Dry, The Courier-Journal.
An open housing rally and march began at Memorial Auditorium at Fourth and Kentucky where the arrests occurred. It ended nearly a mile away in front of Police Headquarters at 7th and Jefferson where leaders arranged the release of those arrested. March 30, 1967. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
John F. Kennedy is seen on a presidential campaign stop in Louisville riding in an open motorcade. Oct 4, 1960. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
Journalists swarm a tavern in Harrod's Creek during the Stoll kidnapping case. 1934. Courier Journal archive photo.
Mrs. Barbara Jaggers stands stunned in the remains of her two-story house on Stannye Dr. in the Northfield subdivision. Her youngest daughter, Leigh Ann, age 7, cries in disbelief. Jaggers and her three daughters were downtown when the tornado hit. her husband, Gene was out of town. April 4, 1974. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
University of Louisville's Darrell Griffith celebrates after leading his team to the NCAA basketball championship over UCLA. March 24, 1980. By Barbara Montgomery, The Courier-Journal.
Some demonstrators parked their cars across Dixie Highway in Valley Station last night, snarling traffic so badly that it had to be rerouted by police. The driver of this car, stopped in the middle of the highway, later tore off the auto's hood. Sept. 5, 1975. By Melissa Farlow, The Courier-Journal.
Officials investigate an illegal still. February 1940. Courier-Journal archive photo.
Cambodian refugees made their way to the refugee camps spread along the Thailand/Cambodian border as the North Vietnamese army was overthrowing the Khmer Rouge regime. 1979. Photo by Jay Mather, The Courier-Journal.
At Greenwood Elementary, Mark Stewart, 8, seated, exchanged introductions with a new classmate, Darrel Hughes, also 8. The photo of the two young men shaking hands became the iconic image from Louisville's days of forced busing to integrate the city's public school system. Sept. 3, 1975. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
James Brown, The King of Soul, got down to business during a concert in Louisville. Sept. 7, 1966. By C. Thomas Hardin, The Courier-Journal.
The statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Louisville Free Public Library appears to be standing on water during the 1937 flood. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
Soldiers in the heat of battle during the Vietnam War try to help a fallen comrade. 1965. By Bill Strode, The Courier-Journal.
New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth, on one of his visits to Louisville, in the 1920's. Ruth is said to have played two exhibition games in Louisville with the Yankees. 1920s. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
Families of trapped coal miners waited for news following an explosion at the Duvin Mine in Providence, Kentucky. Twenty eight men would lose their lives in the mine disaster. July 16, 1939. By George Bailey, The Courier-Journal.
A group of young boys skated on the frozen Ohio River north of Towhead Island. R, to l, Charles Davis, Paul Snyder, William Stettenbenz, Norman Morrison, Roy Perryman and Clyde Morrison. Dec. 31, 1935. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
Mother Teresa held a baby while visiting Jenkins, Ky., during her first rural mission in the U.S. June 22, 1982. By Jay Mather, The Courier-Journal.
Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean flew his famous Spirit of St. Louis airplane to Louisville. Lindbergh is seen in the window of his aircraft. Aug. 8, 1927. By Charles Betz, The Courier-Journal.
A Kentucky State trooper fired his gun at a speeding car driven by a 16-year-old. The chase began after a theft at a gas station. 1977. By Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
During his trip to Eastern Kentucky, President Lyndon B. Johnson talked to Tom Fletcher on the front porch of his home at Inez in Martin County. 1964. By James N. Keen, The Courier-Journal.
A young Johnny Unitas sat on the bench after seeing action in the Baltimore Colts vs Chicago Cardinals game at Fairgrounds Stadium, in Louisville. Unitas played collage ball at the University of Louisville. Sept. 15, 1957. By Gean Baron, The Courier-Journal.
A scene from the Hurricane Creek Mine in Hyden, Ky. disaster, after an explosion in one of the shafts killed thirty eight miners. Victims families identified the bodies that lie on a gym floor. Dec. 30, 1970. By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal.
Couples competed in the Courier-Journal jitterbug contest. Oct. 16, 1938. By George Bailey, The Courier-Journal.
A Western Union messenger protected his eyes while viewing a solar eclipse in downtown Louisville. April 19, 1939. By Roberts, The Courier-Journal.
An old-order Mennonite community was established in 1976 by several families who relocated from Pennsylvania to the small town of Liberty in Casey County, Kentucky. The whole community went to church on Sunday using an old farmhouse as their place of worship. 1980. By Jay Mather, The Courier-Journal.
A monk from the Gethsemani Abbey poses for a portrait. 1981. By Gary S. Chapman, The Courier-Journal.
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (in car) talks with open housing demonstrators in Louisville. March 30, 1967. By Charles Fentress, The Courier-Journal.
The University of Louisville basketball team during practice. Jan. 31, 1956. By Thomas Miller, The Courier-Journal.
Big Bill Johnson belts out a tune during a rehearsal for Blue Angels Records. Johnson, from Louisville's Highland Park neighborhood recorded such songs as Hot Rod Car, Jefferson County Jail and Beer Belly Blues. June 23, 1970. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
A cross is set on fire on the grounds of Southern Junior High school in Louisville during protests against an open housing march through south Louisville. April 13, 1967. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
A demonstration of television technology by Philco Co. was shown at the Kentucky Hotel. June 3, 1939. By Sherrill Hyman, The Courier-Journal.
A Little Sister of the Poor kisses the ring of a bishop during the Catholic religious order's centenary. 1939. By Wade, The Courier-Journal.
A stuntman rides around the walls of a wooden barrel aboard a motorcycle as part of a sideshow at the Kentucky State Fair. Aug. 23, 1967. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
Harrison Mayes, was a coal miner from Middlesboro, Ky. Mayes dedicated his life to evangelistic work by spreading the the message of redemption along America's highways. Mayes painted signs, built crosses and even sent thousands of messages in bottles across the seas. Clyde Mayes, age 11, one of Mayes' four children stood beside a sign in the front yard of their home. Jan. 3, 1949. By Barney Cowherd, The Courier-Journal.
Former Kentucky Governor A. B "Happy" Chandler presses the flesh during a rural campaign stop, while running for his third try for the Governor's office. 1971. By C. Thomas Hardin, The Courier-Journal.
Former Courier-Journal photographer Michael Coers' iconic, "Horses in Snow" photograph, taken from a helicopter over an Oldham County farm. Jan. 15, 1978. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
A man planted a kiss on a woman as they celebrated the end of World War II, on "VJ" Day in Louisville. Aug. 14, 1945. By Al Blunk, The Courier-Journal.
The jumble of toppled utility poles and the menacing tangle of utility lines where the tornado crossed Bardstown Road were etched into the memories of all who saw the scene. April 3, 1974. By Frank Kimmell, The Courier-Journal.
A lone horse and rider stood in the spot lights at the Kentucky State Fair. Sept. 9, 1962. By Bill Strode, The Courier-Journal.
Four civil-rights demonstrators sat down in front of a Louisville patrol car to prevent police from taking two other demonstrators who were arrested earlier to Police Headquarters. All were arrested later. June 7, 1964. By R.C. Fuller, The Courier-Journal.
The crash site on Interstate 71 at mile marker 40 involving a church bus loaded with kids returning from Kings Island, and a pickup truck, driven by a drunk driver, in the wrong lane of the interstate. May 15, 1988. By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal.
A young girls peers through a downtown department store window. 1951. By Barney Cowherd, The Courier-Journal.
Mrs. Ollie Combs is carried away by Sgt. Sonny Owens of the Kentucky State Police after she tried to stop strip mining on her property. Courier-Journal photographer Bill Strode was also arrested for photographing Mrs. Combs arrest. Nov. 23, 1965. By Bill Strode, The Courier-Journal.
Bluegrass music legend Bill Monroe paused to share a moment with his horse, Tick, on his Tennessee Farm. 1985. By Pat McDonogh, The Courier-Journal.
Civil rights marchers can be seen in a man's eye during the march for justice to Selma, Ala. 1965. By Bill Strode, The Courier-Journal.
Actor, comedian Bob Hope is surrounded by photographers while attending the Kentucky Derby. May 6, 1950. By Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
The dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial encountering two familiar names, former Marine Jeremiah Connors is overcome as he leans against "The Wall", and remembers his friends who never returned from Vietnam. November 1982. By Jebb Harris, The Courier-Journal.
Charlie Cheek, at left, who attended the Ku Klux Klan rally Saturday night near Verda, Ky, said, "I was a KKK member in the '20's, but it's kinda went downhill." July 20, 1975. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
Noted ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov is seen during a rehearsal for his performance with the Louisville Ballet. Oct. 17, 1979. By Jebb Harris, The Courier-Journal.
A man stood with the glass he'd collected in a wooded cart on the streets of Phoenix Hill. The area, considered a slum, was demolished for the first federal housing project in Louisville. 1938. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
Louisville native and Major League Baseball hall of fame member Pee Wee Reese tags up at 1st base while playing in a game against Rochester at Parkway Field. Oct. 1, 1939. By Thomas Miller, The Courier-Journal.
Kentucky Derby entrant Fighting Fox, right, is seen during the parade to the post. Fighting Fox finished 6th in the race. May 6, 1938. By Art Abfier, The Courier-Journal.
Judy McGarvey scolds her son David, left, while holding her younger son Morgan, while visiting the veterinarian for their dog Sadie, right. 1982. By Pam Spaulding, The Courier-Journal.
University of Louisville cheerleaders react to a one point loss to Ohio State in the 1961 NCAA Mideast Regional. Ohio State, the eventual NCAA champion won 56-55. March 17, 1961. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
The Cole Brothers Circus came to Louisville and set up camp at 17th & Hill. A horse trainer works with his steed. May 9, 1940. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
A concerned parents march against school desegregation/forced busing is seen making its way east on Broadway between First and Second streets. Sept. 27, 1975. By Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
Vice President Richard Nixon got a haircut while in town to attend an event at the Kentucky Hotel. Sept. 27, 1956. By George Bailey, The Courier-Journal.
Rev. Oscar Hutton, center right and others handle snakes during a revival near the Kentucky-Virginia border. In the center is Faye Nolan, who had been bitten by a venomous snake three weeks earlier. Oct. 26 1947
Rev. Oscar Hutton, center, and others handle snakes during a revival near the Kentucky-Virginia border. Oct. 26, 1947. By Thomas V. Miller Jr., The Courier-Journal.
Four members of the Kentucky Highway patrol pose for a photo. August 1939. By Harold Rhodnebaugh, The Courier-Journal.
Metropolitan Corrections officers hold a prisoner’s head to take a mug shot. Jan. 9, 1981. By Dan Dry, The Courier-Journal.
Musician Elton John relaxed in the dressing room on a night of a performance at Louisville's Convention Center. June 6, 1971. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
A young boy jumps with joy in the pouring rain. 1975. By Pam Spaulding, The Courier-Journal.
The city of Pikeville, KY. under flood conditions. By Billy Davis, The Courier-Journal. March 13, 1963. By Billy Davis, The Courier-Journal.
A women is overcome with emotion after being baptized in the Ohio River by Rev. Charles Elliot of King Solomon Baptist Church. Aug. 4, 1974. By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal.
Mrs. Ralph Likins held one of her seven children at her home, near Campton, Ky. Jan. 30, 1965. By Bill Strode, The Courier-Journal.
In Tuscaloosa to play Alabama during the regular season, the starting five of the Kentucky basketball team took in a movie. the team, nicknamed "Rupp's Runts" are from left to right: Larry Conley, Thad Jaracz, Pat Riley, Tommy Kron and Louie Dampier. Circa 1965-66. By C. Thomas Hardin, The Courier-Journal.
Elvis Presley takes the stage for a performance at the Armory in Louisville. Nov. 25, 1956. By Cort Best, The Courier-Journal.
Senator Robert Kennedy visited eastern Kentucky on a presidential campaign stop. Feb. 13, 1968. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
Houses and businesses await demolition to make way for the new Clarksdale housing project. Jan. 1939. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
Kentucky coal miner Paul Harrington brought a face full of coal dust out of a Pikeville mine after a day's work. 1971. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
Boats link up on the Kentucky River as boaters enjoy a flotilla parade during a river festival in Frankfort, Kentucky on July 12, 1981. By Jim Gensheimer, The Courier-Journal.
President Franklin Roosevelt reached out to shake hands with a young girl on a 'whistle stop' in Louisville. Roosevelt spoke from the back of a railroad car on his visit to the city. June 25, 1938. By Keller, The Courier-Journal.
Louisville Times reporters and photographers converse outside a tavern near the scene of the Stoll murder case. Oct. 12, 1934. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
Cassius Clay and referee Don Asbury watch intently as LaMar Clark sinks to the canvas for the second time in the first round of last night's heavyweight fight at Freedom Hall. The knockdown came with five seconds left in the round. Clay then required an additional minute and 27 seconds to achieve a knockout in the second round for the scheduled eight-rounder. April 19, 1961. Photo by Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
Sioux City Sue, one of Jonny Rivers' Aqua Mules, leapt from 24 feet in the air into a six-foot-deep tank of water. The diving mules appeared at the Kentucky State Fair. Aug. 25, 1971. By Michael Coers, The Courier-Journal.
Local dignitaries begin the process to demolish the first house in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood in the federal government's "Slum-Clearance Project." Houses were demolished to make way for the Clarksdale housing project, the first of its kind in Louisville. Clarksdale and several other such projects over time would prove to be a failure and have been replaced with mixed use housing. 1938. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
Fans of the University of Louisville climbed atop the basketball team's bus after the school won its first NCAA basketball championship. March 25, 1980. By Jim Mendenhall, The Courier-Journal.
The grandstand at the Douglas Park Race Course. Feb. 1939. By Charles Darneal, The Courier-Journal.
Rescuers raise a bucket with supplies to a stranded family during flooding in Louisville. 1937. By George Bailey, The Courier-Journal.
Shrouded in early morning fog, Muhammad Ali takes his daily three-mile run along a Pennsylvania country road. Aug. 24, 1978. By Keith Williams, The Courier-Journal.
The historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs stand majestic as the horses head into the first turn at of the Kentucky Derby. May 7, 1932. The Courier-Journal archive photo.
A. B. "Happy" Chandler, right, campaigns in Henderson, Ky. for his third term as Governor of Kentucky. Chandler had also served as U.S. Senator and Commissioner of Baseball. He failed in his pursuit for the Governor's office. 1971. By C. Thomas Hardin, The Courier-Journal.
Opening day of the Louisville Amateur Baseball Federation in Shawnee Park. May 1939. By Charles Darneal, The Courier-Journal.
University of Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp was the center of attention at last night's UK-Auburn game in Memorial Coliseum, in Lexington. The coliseum was darkened except for a spotlight as Rupp, guiding his Wildcats through the last home game of his 42nd UK season, was introduced and came forward to wave to the crowd. There was no mention of retirement, but the 70-year old Rupp had reached the age at which UK requires its faculty members to retire. UK defeated Auburn, 102-67. March 6, 1972. By Bud Kamenish, The Courier-Journal.
A fire broke out in the grandstands at the Kentucky State Fair in west Louisville. A woman is seen being lowered to safety. Sept. 11, 1952. By Bud Kamenish, The Courier-Journal.
A photographer made a portrait of two small children. July 23, 1939. By Thomas V. Miller Jr., The Courier-Journal.
Like an underwater nymph, a trusting child rides on the back of her mother underwater in a YMCA pool during a swimming class for children under three years old called "Diaper Dip." The feature picture ran in the Louisville Times in 1977. By Melissa Farlow.
Alysheba defeats Strike the Gold at the finish of the first Breeders' Cup Classic, ran at Churchill Downs. Nov. 5, 1988. By Ben Van Hook, The Courier-Journal.
A worker picks through the rubble of a demolished building at the site of the new Clarksdale housing project. January 1939. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
President Gerald Ford works on his speech on Air Force One in July of 1975 while flying to Cleveland, Ohio. By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal.
A young boy stood on a roof top overlooking the Phoenix Hill neighborhood. The area, considered a slum was removed for the first public housing project in Louisville. 1938. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
Lavina Nugent was deep in thought as she held a cat in the Old Louisville neighborhood. 1970. By Bryan Moss, The Courier-Journal.
The site of the new Clarksdale housing project on west Walnut street in Louisville. August 1938. By Charles Pence, The Courier-Journal.
A scene from the idyllic life at the new Clarksdale housing project. 1939. By Harold Rhodenbaugh, The Courier-Journal.
A horse and racer take a fall on a difficult jump on the cross country course of the World championship Three-Day Event, at the Kentucky Horse Park. Neither horse nor rider were injured. 1978. By Melissa Farlow, The Courier-Journal.
Kentuckians who lined North Third Street in Bardstown yesterday in hope of catching a glimpse of President Jimmy Carter were treated to a personal greeting from Carter when he left the security of his limousine and rode on top of it. July 31, 1979. By Keith Williams, The Courier-Journal.
Jockey's weighing in on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. May 1940. By H. Harold Davis, The Courier-Journal.
Central High School's Tommy Starnes gets the rebound against Richmond Madison as star Ronald King, No. 44, backs him up. Central won 68-60. March 27, 1969. Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
A fire at Miles Park killed 32 thoroughbreds and destroyed 13 barns. May 18, 1964. By Larry Spitzer, The Courier-Journal.
At the 1922 Kentucky State Fair, visitors looked over posters, including dozens that advocated swatting flies to keep them from breeding. The fair, which actually began in 1902, wasn't held in 1904, and it was canceled during two years of World War II. The Courier-Journal.
Hurled by Wednesday's tornado like a javelin, a board crashed through a dining room window at the home of Louis R. Straub, 20 Glenwood Road, Louisville. Straub, right, held one end of the board yesterday while son, Louis Straub II, held the other. The board was 10 feet long, 8 inches wide and an inch thick. April 1974. By Robert Steinau, The Courier-Journal.
Manual of Louisville usually produces a goat to inspire its footballers, the Maroons, on Thanksgiving Day games. This 1946 photo shows one being held by Eddie Wyatt. William Marcum is doing all that leaping. Nov. 29, 1946. By Barney Cowherd, Courier-Journal.
Scottsburg barber Bruce Miller trimmed Gerald Nichol's hair yesterday in his shop on Ind. 56 while Gordon Noe, right, traded stories with Lee Martin. Miller opened the shop in 1940 and plans to retire this year. January 9, 1987. By Ben Van Hook, The Courier-Journal .
Sgt. W. R. Strickler, a Louisville and Nashville Railroad policeman, finds a hobo resting in one of the railroad company's cars. Dec. 27, 1949. By Barney Cowherd, The Courier-Journal.
Louisville integration leaders James A. Crumlin, left, and Frank L. Stanley, Jr., right, flank Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at Convention Center in May 1963. By Cort Best, The Courier-Journal.
Frances Harbin sings with classmates during a music appreciation project at the Virginia Avenue Colored School. Feb. 25, 1940. By S. Hyman, The Courier-Journal.
About 300 people walked from Central Park to the courthouse in a gay and lesbian March for Justice. June 26, 1987. By Adrienne Helitzer, The Courier Journal.
NextPrevious