Over 25,000 photographic negatives and prints taken by Columbus photographer Jerry Nail were recently donated to the Local History Department at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.
The images, dating roughly from the 1970s to the 2010s, cover a wide variety of subjects including weddings, family portraits, events, businesses and people.
Archivist Mona Vance-Ali said, “Over Nail’s career he witnessed the transformation of the entire photography industry as film moved from analogue to digital format. His collection represents a snapshot into late 20th and early 21st century life in Columbus and the surrounding areas.”
Jerry Lynn Nail was born in Grenada in 1947. He first took an interest in photography from his father and fellow studio photographer, Arthur Lee Nail. In 1969, he moved with his wife, Linda, to Columbus where he worked for American Bosch (later United Technology Corporation) until retiring. For part-time work, Jerry operated a photography business out of his house for 20 years. In 1990, he and his wife purchased the building at 107 Fifth St. S. There, Linda ran a bridal boutique called A Southern Wedding on the first floor, and Jerry operated the studio Jerry Nail Photography on the second floor. Jerry was a member of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International as well as the Professional Photographers of Mississippi and Alabama. In 2012, both Jerry and Linda retired and closed their stores.
The library is accepting monetary donations to go towards the preservation of this collection. Checks should be made out to the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.
For more information contact Mona Vance-Ali at 662-329-5304 or at [email protected].
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