Harry C. Mann: Norfolk Photographer

Exhibition Website

Apr 2 2016 - Apr 2 2017

Located at the Willoughby-Baylor House, 601 E. Freemason St., Norfolk Va.

This exhibition features the work of Harry Cowles Mann (1866–1926), Norfolk's most prolific photographer during an era when downtown construction and maritime traffic were booming.

In addition to portrait services, he sold views of local architecture and of regional beaches and wetlands. His work was published in National Geographic three times. A Petersburg native, the amateur photographer became a professional during the great Jamestown Exposition of 1907. He went from being part of a corps of photographers documenting the Expo’s spectacle of technology, art, and trade to opening a commercial studio downtown at 286 Main Street.

By the time Mann’s studio closed in 1924, he had produced and published thousands of photographs. Today his images of Norfolk offer valuable glimpses of the city during a moment of rapid change, and his artistic landscapes celebrate the timeless natural beauty of our area.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

  • Photography
  • American
  • 20th Century
  • Harry Cowles Mann

Exhibition Venues & Dates