A black and white photograph of a row of girls talking in a church pew.

Girls in the Church

Artist Keith Cardwell (British, born 1946)

Date1995

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 9 1/2 × 14 inches (24.1 × 35.6 cm)
Sheet: 11 7/8 × 15 7/8 inches (30.2 × 40.3 cm)
Matted: 16 × 20 inches (40.6 × 50.8 cm)

Portfolio/Series"First African" series

Credit LineMuseum purchase.

Object number2000.6.35

On View

Not on view

Copyright© First African by Keith Cardwell. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextAlthough the viewer might want to know what the little girls are whispering to each other in the church pew, their secrets are lost to time. However, Keith Cardwell’s photograph speaks to the tight-knight communities families and friends find at church. This photograph is from his multiyear photo essay about the First African Baptist Church in Savannah.The First African Baptist Church purports to be the first black Baptist congregation in North America, officially organized in 1788 but derived from a community congregation formed in 1773 under the leadership of Reverend George Liele.The church is located on 23 Montgomery Street on Franklin Square and still holds services to this day.Cardwell studied art at Leeds and Goldsmith’s College in London and has worked as a freelance photographer since 1978. In 1995, he joined the Savannah College of Art and Design as a professor of photography and special projects photographer. Text written for 'Youthful Adventures: Growing Up in Photography' on view September 18, 2020-April 18, 2021.

Subject MatterSavannah, Georgia, United States of America

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