I grew up not far from the Mississippi line, just south of Memphis, and made many journeys to the delta.
Birney Imes has done a great job of revealing the truth about this area with just 58 brilliant photos. It’s rare to see this slice of Southern life handled with such respect and dignity and humor.
These photos reveal the interiors of several African-American drinking and dancing spots with all their ramshackle glory. As with Walker Evan’s photos in Agee’s book, everything seems so temporary and yet permanent. Homegrown signs contrast with the slickly produced commercial ads for beer, cigarettes, and snack foods.
From these photos, it is easy to imagine the various bars in Juke Joint coming alive with the sound of blues, friendship, intimacy, and good times. Image #38 shows a homemade sign in Juicy’s Place saying ‘BE NICE OR LEAVE’.
That’s the messsage here. It’s a southern thing, y’know: Be Nice or Leave.
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