Robert De Witt Fitch, known as Bob Fitch, (1939–2016) was an American photographer during the
civil rights movement.
Early life and education
Robert De Witt Fitch was born on July 20, 1939, in
Los Angeles,
California. His parents were Robert Fitch and Marion Weeks De Witt. His father was a minister with the
United Church of Christ and professor of
Christian ethics
Christian ethics, also known as moral theology, is a multi-faceted ethical system: it is a virtue ethic which focuses on building moral character, and a deontological ethic which emphasizes duty. It also incorporates natural law ethics, whic ...
.
Fitch went to high school in
Berkeley, California, during the 1950s. In 1961, Fitch earned a
B.A. in
Psychology at
Lewis & Clark College. Fitch later earned both a
B.A. and a
Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
at the
Pacific School of Religion. His father was
dean of the Pacific School of Religion. In 1965, Fitch was
ordained by the
United Church of Christ.
Early career
Early in his career, Fitch served as an intern at
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church
Glide Memorial Church is a church in San Francisco, California, formerly a United Methodist Church congregation, which opened in 1930. Since the 1960s, it has served as a counter-culture rallying point, as one of the most prominently liberal chu ...
in
San Francisco. There he worked with groups including street gangs, the homeless, hippies and
LGBT groups. Fitch was later a
labor organizer
A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. A majority of unions appoint rather than elect their organizers.
In some unions, the orga ...
and a
draft resistance
Draft evasion is any successful attempt to elude a government-imposed obligation to serve in the military forces of one's nation. Sometimes draft evasion involves refusing to comply with the military draft laws of one's nation. Illegal draft ev ...
counselor. Fitch worked at the
California Department of Housing and Community Development and at the
Resource Center for Nonviolence, in
Sacramento and
Santa Cruz.
Photography career
Death and legacy
Fitch died on April 29, 2016, in
Watsonville, California. He was aged 76 and died from complications of
Parkinson's disease.
An archive of Fitch's photos is held at
Stanford University Libraries
The Stanford University Libraries (SUL), formerly known as "Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources" ("SULAIR"), is the library system of Stanford University in California. It encompasses more than 24 libraries in all. Sev ...
. The archive is described as containing "over 200,000 images, primarily black and white photographs and negatives, spanning the period from 1965 to the present."
Selected exhibitions
See also
*
List of photographers of the civil rights movement
Beginning with the murder of Emmett Till in 1955, photography and photographers played an important role in advancing the civil rights movement by documenting the public and private acts of racial discrimination against African Americans and the n ...
References
External links
Bob Fitch Photo official websiteBob Fitch photography archiveat
Stanford University Libraries
The Stanford University Libraries (SUL), formerly known as "Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources" ("SULAIR"), is the library system of Stanford University in California. It encompasses more than 24 libraries in all. Sev ...
Guide to the Bob Fitch Photography Archiveat the
Online Archive of California
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitch, Bob
1939 births
2016 deaths
American photographers