The Mennello Museum of American Art (Facebook | Website) will showcase a new collection of photographs that focus on the Underground Railroad in a new exhibition called, “Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad.”
The exhibition will feature work by photographer Jeanine Mechna-Bales, who has spent over 10 years researching slaves and the ways they would escape to freedom in America. Michna-Bales followed roughly 2,000 miles of unnumbered routes of the Underground Railroad in her photography, based on actual documented sites, cities, and places that people seeking freedom would follow.
“We are moved to share Michna-Bales’ photographs that are stunning, hauntingly beautiful, and impart a deep gravitas in a thoughtful reflection on a painful part of our American history. The narrative from darkness to light on a path across the American landscape to architectural sites is powerfully guided by spirituals, historic figures, and lived experiences that were encouraging and inspired.”
– SHANNON FITZGERALD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The exhibition features color photographs, ephemera, and narratives to tell the story of the Underground Railroad and is accompanied by a publication that was co-created with Princeton Architectural Press that includes a photographic essay and is available for purchase at the museum.
The exhibition will open to the public on November 19 and run through January 9.
Mennello Museum is located at 900 E. Princeton Street [GMap].
