Doug Muir’s time capsule photography is a window into the past

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On Sept. 11, 2001, Doug Muir was sitting at Lake Skaneateles with his daughter Heather Muir. When he learned of the tragedy unfolding in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, he grabbed his camera and ran back to Syracuse to capture the reaction of people in the city.

“He was right in the middle of everything. I mean, often I would be with my parents at marches and then he’d go off and photograph and those would be picked up by various Bay Area newspapers,” Heather said of his career. “It wasn’t like he was there as a journalist, he was there as a participant.”

Whether he was living in Texas, the Bay Area or central New York, Muir was always able to perfectly capture a moment through his photos. During the summer, highlights from decades of Muir’s work were on display at the Everson Museum of Art. The exhibit presents a wide range of artifacts from Muir’s life, from his start as a photographer in Syracuse to his passing in 2016.

A majority of the events featured in the exhibit took place during the 1970s when Muir was heavily involved in the social and political movements of the time — both as a participant and an observer.

“He was involved in many trades and with people who were in the union. He would be around the Syracuse campus or with his plumbers and steamfitters,” Heather said. “Whether it was working or photographing, or growing up, he really saw Syracuse, and he had this remarkable memory.”

Capturing anti-Vietnam War marches and gatherings of the Black Panther Party, Muir’s close proximity to the events created incredibly unique photos. Heather said that her father’s access to these events allowed him to take “shots that someone who was on the periphery wouldn’t have seen.”

Courtesy of Heather Muir

Doug Muir participated in numerous significant social and political movements during the course of his career. He was able to document the work of numerous unions, including plumbers and students, as both a journalist and a participant. Courtesy of Heather Muir

The exhibit also highlights Muir’s connection to central New York. Both sides of his family immigrated to Syracuse from Scotland and Ireland respectively, and he spent the majority of his childhood growing up in the south side of the city, Heather said. She described her father as having a deep understanding of Syracuse and his work reflects changes in the city as Muir grew up.

Throughout his career, Muir had a strong, 50-year relationship with Light Work, a photography center in Syracuse, said Daniel Boardman, the director of the center. Muir was featured in many issues of Light Work’s single-artist publication series, and many of his images were featured in the collections.

Boardman said that Muir’s work exemplifies Light Work’s mission to present and support under-recognized, lens-based artists. Boardman said that Muir’s best skill was making images live no matter what the scenario they were taken in was.

“Doug was a superbly skilled photographer who was able to capture his community, family, and everyday life with wonder, tenderness and complexity,” said Boardman.

Steffi Chappell, an assistant curator at the Everson, said the personal vision of Muir’s work was the key reason the museum wanted to present it to the public.

“The magic of Doug Muir’s work can be found in his ability to capture everyday people, situations and scenery, but make all of those things memorable,” Chapell said. “His photos always echo with familiarity, and reveal timeless connections between people and the public and private spaces they inhabit.”

In addition to the exhibit, Heather and her family worked to produce a documentary about Muir and his career. They wanted to help tell Muir’s story through family and friends who knew him as well as with his photographs.

No matter where he was working, Muir was able to establish a special connection with the people and places around him with his photography, Heather said. He always made it a priority to properly represent the time period he was working in and the people who were making history at that time.

“He remembered every detail about Syracuse, from his first paycheck at (a candy shop) or what happened at every intersection,” Heather said. “I just think that intimacy with a place is important.”