Itsuzo Sumy photo exhibit evokes memories of a bygone era

CHESTERTOWN | The recent exhibit of images by mid-century hometown photographer Itsuzo Sumy turned out to be one of the largest and most significant cultural events in Chestertown in recent history, local officials said this week. Born in Japan in 1891, Sumy emigrated to the U. S. in 1922, and 10 years later settled in Chestertown, opening a souvenir shop and a photo studio. Over the next 38 years, Sumy — a self-taught photographer — chronicled the lives of local people in their work, recreation, leisure, special occasions, and day-to-day lives. After Sumy's death in 1970, Sumy's relatives donated all of his photographs and negatives to the Town of Chester Historical Society, which sponsored this exhibit featuring 350 of his black-and-white photos. Town Supervisor Craig Leggett welcomed the crowd who came to hear an introductory presentation on Sumy's legacy by Leigh Stevenson Cobb, whose family was one of the many who befriended Sumy when he arrived in town. "Itsuzo Sumy had a clear and compassionate eye for the community he lived in, and that's what he gave us in his photographs," Leggett said. Chester Historical Society President Bernie McCann said that at least 624 people attended the formal exhibit, held Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 at the town of Chester Municipal Center. He added that the exhibit, primarily of Chestertown residents and their activities, would extend through Aug. 31, allowing hundreds more to see his intimate chronicle of small-town life. He said the exhibit was a long-awaited event. "Viewing Sumy's photographs bought back memories for a lot of people who attended, while it instructed young people how things were in the 1930s through the 1960s in Chestertown," McCann said. Leggett said he overheard many of these memories expressed by many of the hundreds attending the exhibit. "Walking up and down the hallways, to hear those stories gave me and others a sense of how deeply woven our community is," he said. "The depth of his photos reflects the depth of our lives." McCann said the exhibit surpassed his expectations. "Sumy's photographs resonated with residents, visitors, and people with no connection to Chestertown," McCann said. "Some professional photographers attended the exhibit, and one of them told me that Sumy's photographs should be displayed in a museum." Leigh Stevenson Cobb's presentation featuring her personal memories of Sumy was compelling, McCann said. "The audience listened with rapt attention," he said. "After her talk, they rushed the stage to get her to sign her book on Sumy and answer their questions — for 45 minutes. McCann, a retired teacher who instructed at North Warren High School in Chestertown, said some of his former students attended the exhibit — and they thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sumy's photographs depicting their parents and grandparents engaged in community activities. "The memories engendered by the exhibit have been personal and heartwarming," he said. At the last town of Chester board meeting, the town board voted to establish an annual "Itsuzo Sumy Day" to be observed on May 22, his birthday — and subsequent exhibits and events celebrating Sumy's legacy are likely to occur each year on that date.

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Itsuzo Sumy photo exhibit evokes memories of a bygone era

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