Governor's Gallery

Ron Tarver
Deep Deuce & Beyond: A Photographic Exhibition Exploring the Architectural Legacy of African Americans on Oklahoma City

May 19 thru June 17, 2004

By Kristin Winch

Beneath the gleaming modern facades and upscale apartments along West 2nd Street, and the abandoned homes and weed infested lots to the east, lay the remnants of what was, in its heyday, one of the most successful African-American business districts in the country.

“The 2.” “The Deuce.” “Deep Deuce.” Akin to Harlem of the 1930’s—in spirit, if not in scope— Deep Deuce spawned such legendary figures as jazz guitarist Charlie Christian, “blues shouter” Jimmy Rushing, and internationally acclaimed writer, Ralph Ellison. Deep Deuce attracted African-American professionals of every stripe. Roscoe Dunjee, Dr. Frederick Douglas Moon, Mrs. Lucy Tucker, Dr. William Lewis Haywood, Mary and Sydney Lyons. These doctors, educators, entrepreneurs, and activists came together, creating a critical mass that transformed 2nd Street and the surrounding neighborhood into a thriving corridor of Oklahoma City.

Deep Deuce produced the East India Toilet Goods and Manufacturing Company, the 2nd largest African-American hair product company in the world. The Deuce was home to the historic Aldridge Theatre, an African-American theatre that attracted some of the most prestigious talent in the country. Just beyond 2nd Street, Edwards Addition boasts the African-American owned and operated Edwards Memorial Hospital; in its era, the most well equipped state of the art hospital in Oklahoma.

This exhibition, featuring the photography of native Oklahoman Ron Tarver, explores the legacy of Deep Deuce through its architecture. From the grand historical edifice of Calvary Baptist Church to the clapboard frame of the Open Hand Mission, the images evoke the essence of the Deuce, and the people who created it.

The absence of human form allows the imagination to wander through time. Viewing the steps of Douglass High School, one can almost hear the din of youthful chatter, rustling skirts, and shuffling shoes. Le’Ora’s Beauty Salon calls up the familiar sounds and scents of sizzling hair. While Slaughter’s Mansion induces memories of fine furs, sleek cars, and upscale living, a boarded up grocery on 4th Street speaks to decades of struggle since the Urban Renewal of the 1960s.

Tarver’s timeless images invite reminiscence and reflection, and challenge viewers to envision a future for the Deep Deuce that builds upon the legacy of those who came before.

Born and raised in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, exhibition photographer Ron Tarver has devoted much of his professional career to documenting the African-American experience. A staff photographer for The Philadelphia Inquirer for over 20 years, Tarver has earned numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including: a 2001 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and the 2001 Margaret Danby Visual Arts Award from the Black Liberated Arts Center in Oklahoma City. Tarver was also awarded a 1993 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant to explore the lives of modern day African-American cowboys, with images still accessible on the National Geographic website.

His photographs have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and are in many private, corporate, and museum collections, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the National Museum of American Art in Washington D.C. His fine art photography is represented by the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia, and by commercial galleries in New York City, Lewes, Delaware, and Atlanta, Georgia. Tarver’s images from the recently published book, We Were There: Voices of African-American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq, will be on exhibit at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia May-August 2004. Ron also loves cooking Sunday dinners for his wonderful family, including; Riley, Wes, Michaela and Kristin.

Sponsored by the Black Liberated Arts Center, Kerr McGee, National Endowment for the Arts, Oklahoma Museum of History and Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov

Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits