Lowell and Beyond

James Higgins Photography: A Retrospective
Exhibit: June 14 to July 27, 2025
Reception: Sat, June 21, 2:00 PM

James Higgins arrived in Lowell in late 1974. He knew little about Kerouac, industrial history, or immigration outside Ellis Island. But like others before him, he found there was much to learn in this gritty city. He came just as the City was transitioning from an aging textile manufacturing center to one with a more diverse economic base.

Since this time Higgins has amassed a huge collection of classic black & white photography. Featured work was shot with a variety of cameras, beginning with his trusty Canon F1, and then later, with a Asahi Pentax 6x7 and a few 4x5 box and monorail cameras.

The exhibition Lowell and Beyond covers 50 years of photography that began in Lowell and continued throughout the US, Ireland and Scotland.

“In the 1970s I spent months on the road traveling the country in a $200 Buick sedan while trying to establish a coherent photographic style. Eventually, I was drawn to black and white and after settling in Lowell, I set-up a darkroom for film developing and print work,” said Higgins.

Higgins has had the opportunity to travel to many places starting with five trips to Ireland in the early to mid 1980s. Other work took him to the American Southwest to document Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and to the north lands of Iceland and Scotland for book cover photography.

In forming Higgins & Ross / Photography and Design (with Joan Ross) in the early 80s, the City of Lowell and the New England region became their primary location for creative work and the production of graphic materials for museums, foundations, cultural organizations, and educational institutions.

After publishing the book “Lowell: A Contemporary View” in 1983, Higgins and Ross partnered with the International Institute to document the new wave of refugees from Southeast Asia. This led to the 1986 publication of “Southeast Asians - A New Beginning in Lowell”. That was followed by the 1996 book, “Fractured Identities - Cambodia’s Children of War,” a photo essay on the first generation of Cambodian children in America.

These books led to enduring friendships within the Southeast Asian community, especially with Angkor Dance Troupe founder Tim Thou and his family of folk and classical dancers. In 2006 Higgins founded Flying Orb Productions with ADT lead dancers Monica Veth and Sophy Leng with the intent of using traditional dance, film, and theater as a starting point for new forms of creative expression.

Image: Portree Habour, Isle of Skye, Scotland 2004, photo by James Higgins

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PARKING -- HCID Parking Garage. GPS: HCID Parking Garage, Lowell, MA 01852 (After parking, head for the flagpole near the opening in the large mill building)

Address: 256 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone:(978) 459-7819

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