Irving Henry Webster Phillips Jr., the Baltimore Sun’s first Black news photographer, died December 22 at the age of 79. The images Phillips leaves behind capture Black life in Baltimore in its multiplicity. They are remarkably prescient, vibrant, dynamic, and joyful: children laughing and playing, a painted sign celebrating the release of Huey P. Newton, and a panoramic image of the Baltimore City Fair.

Irving Henry Webster Phillips Jr. standing in front of a mural. He is a brown skinned man wearing a white tshit, black baseball cap, and black thick rimmed glasses.
Irving Henry Webster Phillips Jr., standing in front of a mural. Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

He was part of a legacy — the son of the late I. Henry Phillips Sr., a newspaper photographer at the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper. His son, I. H. Webster Phillips III, is a Black artist and image maker in his own right.

Before his death, Phillips and his son founded the I. Henry Photo Project, a digital archive made from film scans of images snapped by the three men. The father and son also held workshops at libraries, nursing homes, and community centers, where participants could comb through the archives, helping identify who was in the images and actively connecting past and present to codify the archive. The archive currently holds over ten thousand images, and Phillips’ son is still adding to the collection. 

Baltimore Beat is focused on maintaining the traditions of the Black press. That means making space for our ancestors and preserving their histories, which are inextricably ours. To honor Phillips’ life and legacy, our Director of Photography Schaun Champion and I. H. Webster Phillips III curated this selection of his photos. In these pages, you’ll see some notable faces with ties to Baltimore, including Oprah Winfrey and Bea Gaddy. 

A color photograph scan of Bea Gaddy in front with some of her volunteers, in rear, (L to R) Jesse mae Miller, Lacy Gaddy and Elizabeth Mays. Photo from Dec.1988. (File/Staff Photo Irving H Phillips jr.) Scanned 10/3/01.
Advocate and city councilperson Bea Gaddy. Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

Oprah Winfrey. Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

A black and white scan of a derelict theater. A hand painted sign reads: Huey P. Newton Is Out Of Jail. The Sky Is The Limit"
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

A photograph of four children laughing and playing. They have brown skin and are smiling and posing in front of the camera.
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.
Black and white photograph. -- Baltimore, MD, APRIL 15, 1988 -- Mayor Kurt Schmoke picks up trash. Baltimore Sun staff photo by Irving H. Phillips, Jr.
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

A black and white photograph of the Baltimore City Fair. September 15, 1976-BALTIMORE CITY FAIR--From high on one of the rides this photo shows the full 27 acre site of the City Fair that opens at noon Friday. That's Otterbein Church on Sharp street at left center. Photo by Sun photographer Irving Phillips. AHF-429-BS
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.
Courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

Teri Henderson is the Arts and Culture Editor of Baltimore Beat. She is the author of the 2021 book Black Collagists. Previously, she was a staff writer for BmoreArt, gallery coordinator for Connect +...