Local photojournalism on display in Main Building

A collection of black-and-white and color photographs on display in the commons area of the Main Building bring a wide array of emotions to the mind.

From young boys dressed like cowboys at Frontier City in 1959, to a body being rolled out of an Edmond Post Office after a shooting in 1986, feelings can be polarized by a slight turn of the head.

“50 Years of Photojournalism at the Daily Oklahoman” is a collection of 44 photographs from 1950 to 2000. The photos document Oklahoman life as seen through the camera lenses of photographers at the Daily Oklahoman. Student Life and the Oklahoma History Center come together bringing historical photojournalism to OCCC, said Katie Treadwell, Service Learning and Student Life programs director.

The exhibit’s showing will continue until the end of April. It can be found on the bottom floor of the Main Building, across from the Bookstore.

“I think this exhibit is a great education in Oklahoma history,” Treadwell said. “Some students will remember some photos. They will get a glimpse of our state from the past 50 years.”

The display starts chronologically with the 1950s and ends with 2000s.

Treadwell put together the event with the Oklahoma History Center. Working with outside institutions, such as the history center, makes it possible to bring exhibits to campus that show learning is both inside and outside the classroom.

“We look to different organizations in the community to make use of resources to educate our students,” Treadwell said.

The Oklahoma History Center is a museum whose main focus is exploring Oklahoma’s past and present. It offers other traveling exhibits such as “Cherokee Nation: A Portrait of a People” and “All Black Towns of Oklahoma.”

The center can be found at 2401 N. Laird Avenue, across from the Oklahoma Capital building.