A photo exhibition celebrating resilience, community, and grace.
Webster Phillips and the Baltimore Museum of Industry are proud to present “The Daily Hustle” — a collection of photographs that depict Baltimore’s Black workers and business owners, emphasizing their grace, style, and community strength. These images challenge common perceptions of Baltimore as impoverished and crime-ridden, instead highlighting a vibrant cultural history often erased by redlining and disinvestment. They demonstrate how entrepreneurship and labor build community, portraying African American neighborhoods and street corners as symbols of hope.
Webster Phillips, a third-generation photographer and storyteller, curated this meaningful collection, which spotlights the enduring spirit and contributions of Baltimore’s Black community. The exhibit aims to foster optimism, promote racial equity, and deepen understanding of the city’s diverse workforce.
Irving Henry Webster Phillips, Sr. or I. Henry Phillips was a pioneering photographer for the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper (the AFRO). Phillips’ stunning photographs chronicled life in and around Baltimore’s thriving African-American communities—from ordinary people to celebrities—in the mid-to-late twentieth century. Phillips took photographs that tell the stories of Baltimore’s African American communities as they lived and communed every day and as they had fun playing, laughing, and entertaining. He photographed too the nation’s most important historic moments: five presidential inaugurations, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral, and a grieving Jackie Kennedy. As the AFRO’s chief photographer, Phillips directed as many as seven photographers, at a time; each of whom was tasked with capturing Baltimore life. Phillips photographed for twenty-five years, until 1972. But he didn’t stop taking pictures. After his retirement, Phillips took pictures for the NAACP, headquartered in Baltimore. He took seriously the charge that his son, Irving Phillips, Jr. recalls, “You’ve got to capture the moment. Don’t let them get away from you.”
Directly supporting the BMI’s mission to showcase Baltimore’s industrial heritage, “The Daily Hustle” highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Black workers and business owners, deepening our understanding of the diverse workforce that shaped the city. Its focus on historical entrepreneurship and labor within Black communities provides a vital link between the past and contemporary discussions about community development, economic empowerment, and racial equity in Baltimore. The exhibition’s themes of resilience, community strength, and hope resonate deeply within the city, offering an opportunity for community reflection and engagement, especially regarding its industrial and cultural history.
“The Daily Hustle” is now open for viewing and will close in February 2026.
Thank You To Our Exhibit Sponsors
