He was born in the great state of New Jersey and moved to Atlanta and has called Atlanta his home for over fifty years. A quiet, yet stern man who got his very first camera while in a “pick-up” dice game behind his barracks when he was in the U. S. Navy. After his stint, he realized early on that he wanted to become a professional photographer and started to pursue his goal, never losing sight of his dream.
That all started back in the early 1950s and from that to now, Jim Alexander has always had his camera with him. He has photographed presidents, kings, professional athletes, movie stars, all kinds of Jazz musicians, and a whole slew of other subjects, places, and things. Jim was active during the Civil Rights Era and was even photographed by another photographer as he looked members of the Ku Klux Klan eye-to-eye and face to face.
He established, cultivated, and nurtured important relationships in Atlanta which resulted in his work being exhibited everywhere including downtown, at different museums, at art galleries, and schools and colleges virtually all over the nation. He has worked with all of the schools in the Atlanta University Center as well as the National Black Arts Festival and the Auburn Avenue Research Library. On Saturday, August 7, 2021, a group of people consisting of Jim’s family, friends, former co-workers, fellow photographers, and others who simply love him, got together at The Arts Exchange in East Point to help him celebrate his 86th birthday. They all wanted to let this giant of a man know how much he was respected, admired, looked up to, valued, loved, and to say, Happy 86th Birthday, Jim Alexander!
