LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A photo collection featuring images of African-Americans in Wichita from the late 1940s through the 1970s is now available online through the University of Kansas Libraries.
The photos were taken by Leon K. Hughes, who began his photography career in 1946 while working in the city’s aircraft industry.
Hughes became a leading photographer for Wichita’s family, church and civic events. He shot marriages, birthdays, graduations and more. The collection offers an inside view of the African-American community.
Hughes died in 1978. His widow donated the photos in 2009.
The interactive online collection includes more than 1,000 images. Some details about the photos and their subjects aren’t known, and curators hope those viewing the images will submit any information they have.
