TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — FSU Libraries debuts Mark Wallheiser's 40-plus year photographic archive featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning work, campus life, and decades of Florida history.
- The collection includes Pulitzer Prize-winning Hurricane Katrina coverage and decades of Florida history.
- Images span campus life at FSU and FAMU, sports coverage, and significant events in Tallahassee.
- Watch the video below to learn more about the collection and how you can view it for yourself.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Florida State University Libraries has debuted an extensive photographic archive from local photojournalist Mark Wallheiser. I’m Justin White, your college-town neighborhood reporter, here to take you inside the collection that spans across decades.
"When a collection this rich in information on a topic or several topics comes along, we know it's worthy of preservation, we know it's worthy of public access," said Rory Grennan, director of archives for FSU Libraries.
Wallheiser spent over 40 years behind the lens at the Tallahassee Democrat and as a freelancer, and even helped earn a Pulitzer Prize for coverage on Hurricane Katrina
Highlighting the value of his life’s work, Wallheiser stated the power of traditional photojournalism with today’s digital photo boom.
“Professional photographic storytelling in the 1970s through the turn of the century are so important for their historical nature and believability, as nowadays 5.5 billion photos are taken every single day, 94% of which are taken on smartphones,” Wallheiser stated.
Grennan expressed the importance of the collection for our community.
"When I got wind of the Mark Wallheiser photographic collection, I knew that something had to be done with it because as you said it contains multitudes. It's not just an FSU collection, its not just things that were published in the Tallahassee Democrat, there is student life here, athletics and student life at FAMU, natural disasters all over the South, there is Pulitzer Prize winning work in this collection," Grennan said.
Spanning across decades of Florida history, the collection features images of campus life at FSU, FAMU, and TSC. Along with professional and collegiate sports, like the FSU Heisman Trophy celebration for Charlie Ward, caught on film, and significant events in the capital city, like President Clinton at the Tallahassee International Airport.
Grennan also told me some of the most important work isn't the most newsworthy pieces.
"I mean, his FSU football stuff is great. There's lots of documentation of that already, two students sitting together on Landis Green together, that might be the only photo of them that there is from their undergraduate career, so like those moments are really special to me and are really valuable for the archives," Grennan said.
Wallheiser and the FSU Libraries view this archive as more than a collection — they want it to be a go-to resource for researchers, scholars, students, and teachers, and a place where the people of Tallahassee can see their city’s history come to life.
From Florida State University, I’m Justin White, ABC 27.
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