Forty years of photos exhibit from ‘The Star’ photojournalist Nick Brancaccio

The grand opening of the Windsor in Focus: Forty Years Through the Lens of Nick Brancaccio took place at the Chimczuk Museum on Saturday, Sept. 14.

“It’s the longest and largest display of Windsor Star photos in the history of the museum,” said CraigPearson, Brancaccio’s managing editor upon his retirement in 2020-21, before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Also there to say a few kind words was his first Editor and Publisher Jim Bruce when Brancaccio got his start as a photojournalist at The Star on the entry-level Saturday night photo shift in 1979-80, before he was introduced.

“Photo Editor Bill Bishop assembled one of the finest groups of young photographers of any newspaper group in Canada,” said Bruce. “Nick was one of those people…Any one of those fine photographers would have a portfolio worthy of this museum.”

In this museum is Brancaccio’s top 50 photos after pouring through hundreds of images. Over 15,000 bylines in his 40-year career at The Star. Some of the photos on display won Ontario Newspaper, Canadian Press, and National Newspaper (the equivalent to a Pulitzer) awards.

A wall is dedicated to eight photos of his published in The Star on the day after the Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant in 1984. Brancaccio, a big baseball fan, was proud of those photos. Equally proud was he of his award-winning “graphic images” of spot-news photos of first responders on the back of that wall.

“They save lives,” said Brancaccio while emotionally telling a few visitors to look at the photos he took of firefighters and ambulance drivers in action.

“I owe so much to the great reporters I worked with,” said Brancaccio during his speech, who estimated spending half of his career going out on assignments with them. He said he could have named a hundred or so but singled out three.

“When it came to spot news, there’s nobody better than Eric Mayne, Marty Beneteau and Mark Stewart,” said Brancaccio.

In conversation with museum visitors at the exhibit, Brancaccio would often say in modesty “I’m just the guy who pushes the button on the camera.” He also said, “if you can’t get a picture within 10 minutes, you shouldn’t be in the business.”

Pearson said he was “committed to getting the shot” during his opening statement.

“Nick got right up close and did his job no matter what the situation,” said Pearson.

In one situation, Brancaccio knew when to keep his distance and not get in the way. He often pointed visitors of the exhibit to a photo of two police officers pointing their guns at a lone man during a standoff in his driveway trying to make an arrest. Brancaccio did get the photo but only managed to get the name of the man’s dog within the photo. The dog’s name was Coco.

And one colleague Brancaccio especially thanked was Jim Potter, whom he said was a “great editor at The Star” and for helping him with all the information panels and captions next to his photos.

Brancaccio also appreciated the help of The Star’s younger reporters, photographers, online and desk people when entering the digital age.

“They were willing to share their knowledge for the little bit older journalists,” said Brancaccio. “That made the transition a little bit easier for me.”

It was all possible when an eager young St. Clair College journalism student, as Brancaccio described himself during his speech, was given a chance. Soon he was offered a full-time position.

“I went onto a career lasting four decades which was pretty cool,” said Brancaccio.