Ellsworth J. Davis, first black photographer for The Washington Post, dies at 86 - The Washington Post

Ellsworth J. Davis, first black photographer for The Washington Post, dies at 86 - The Washington Post: Ellsworth J. Davis, who was the first African American photographer hired by The Washington Post and who contributed to the newspaper’s coverage of history-making and daily life in the capital for three decades, died Aug. 14 at his home in the District. He was 86.

His daughter, Shana Davis, confirmed his death and said she did not yet know the cause.

Mr. Davis began his career at Jet and Ebony magazines and joined The Post in 1961, becoming, The Post reported years later, “the first black photographer hired by a major metropolitan newspaper.”

At the time, the newsroom was a scrappy place where assignments were doled out to whomever was available and ready to go. As an experienced photographer and a Washington native connected to the community, Mr. Davis helped shape the paper’s visual coverage of social unrest surrounding the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement.

At one demonstration in 1965, Mr. Davis stood behind the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and photographed the crowd of protesters as King saw them from the stage, their eyes fixed on him and their expressions as solemn and determined as his. When King was gunned down less than three years later, Mr. Davis helped cover the riots that broke out in Washington.