Samuel Wilson was born on November 10, 1930, in rural Wake County, North Carolina to a couple who wanted a son to grace their family of five daughters. The Wilson family had little, but Samuel grew up in a loving household with sisters who doted on him.
Samuel spoke of dreams he had to enrich his life. He dreamt of going to college. On or about the age of thirteen when he was baptized at the Fayetteville Street Baptist Church, Samuel dreamt of becoming a Baptist minister. When introduced to baseball, he dreamt of one day playing for the major leagues, cognizant that during his era Samuel could only hope to play in the Negro league. Samuel dreamt of serving his country during World War II but was too young at the time. Once in the military, he dreamt of becoming an officer in the United States Army, but decided to leave Europe to return home.
As a teenager, Samuel was gifted with an old-fashioned Polaroid camera. He was thrilled and began to explore his world through the camera lens. After retirement from his driving career, Samuel realized his dream of attending college and becoming a professional photographer. After his death, I found old Polaroid prints of his family and friends.
I believe what makes Samuel's photography career so remarkable is that glaucoma gradually stole the vision in his right eye. His depth of field was adversely affected but he devised methods to mark the F-stops, measure, and memorize distances in order to get the desired photographic results. Samuel never gave up. He never complained, but instead took his life in stride, always looking forward to the next adventure. Samuel pushed through disappointments and frustrations, as well as his deteriorating vision, achy knees, and back pain to climb hills and rocks, and wade through water, mud, and reeds for that perfect shot. He had an indomitable spirit that shone through even toward the end of his life when he began to feel unwell.
Samuel never considered publishing, but he certainly developed and framed beautiful prints which adorn our home. He seemed happiest when taking photographs, and as his wife and partner of thirty-three years, I grew to appreciate his talent and now treasure all the beautiful work he left.
-Carolyn J. Ferguson-Wilson
