Reflections by Sammy Way: Heyward Crowson: 'Sumter's photographer emeritus' whose photos helped chronicle Sumter's history

Reflections remembers the photographic genius of Heyward Crowson, Item photographer for more than 40 years. Thousands of his photos have helped Sumter citizenry document numerous buildings, individuals and events which have contributed to our community's history. The information and photos used for this report were garnered from The Item archives.

Mr. Crowson "… snapped literally thousands of pictures ranging from wrecked cars to a cat with its leg in a cast, from sensational plays on the football field to his favorite subject of all - children." His thousands of photos of the Iris Festival, including parades, beauty queens and additional festivals, have enhanced Sumter's awareness and interest. "Being close to action was nothing new to Crowson, who was a Marine combat photographer during World War II and never lost the knack of all good camera artists of being in the right place at the right time." He also shares the distinction of being one of the few photographers selected to photograph the surrender of Japanese soldiers in China.

Crowson became interested in photography as a child and pursued this art form as a hobby for many years. He stayed abreast of rapid changes in the field, becoming one of the first photographers in South Carolina to use 35 millimeter and Rolleiflex cameras.

This piece features numerous photographs from diverse categories reflecting not only his level of talent, but also the variety of subjects Crowson selected.