Paul is a Laurel, Maryland, resident and retired photography professor at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. As a regular participant and photographer at Archie Edwards’s famous barbershop in NE Washington, DC, he is an important chronicler of the local blues scene. His series captures actual jam sessions, showing the real-life experience at the barbershop where people of all skills levels experienced the spirit of community.
Paul documented this important acoustic music scene as its primary chronicler. His important photos are not only artistically and technically excellent, they show the sparkle, verve and joy of the jam sessions.
When Frank Matheis first saw the amazing photo documentation he had captured at Archie’s barbershop, he asked Paul why he had never published these or done anything with them, he replied simply, “Nobody ever asked.” Voila, now we did something with them.
Here is a supporting essay by Frank Matheis to correlate to Paul’s cultural treasure: Archie’s Famous Barbershop
