‘Dellmar’ Samuels remembered as lensman of a golden era

Headley ‘Dellmar’ Samuels, the celebrated Jamaican photojournalist whose images captured some of the most defining moments in West Indies cricket and chronicled decades of Jamaica’s political and cultural history, has died following a period of illness.

Samuels, who was awarded membership in the Order of Distinction (OD), was widely regarded as one of the Caribbean’s most accomplished photographers. Over a career spanning more than five decades, his lens travelled across the world, documenting the West Indies cricket team during its most dominant era while preserving an invaluable visual record of post-Independence Jamaica.

Known simply as ‘Dellmar’, he covered 175 Test matches and seven Cricket World Cup tournaments, becoming a familiar figure at cricket grounds throughout the Caribbean and around the world.

The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), of which Samuels was a life member, said his career demonstrated the indispensable role photojournalists play in recording history and shaping public memory.

PAJ President Dashan Hendricks described Samuels as one of the Caribbean’s most accomplished photojournalists and said his work documented West Indies cricket “at its glorious peak”.

“His photographs did more than capture sporting action; they preserved an important chapter of Caribbean history and helped generations of readers experience the triumphs, personalities and spirit of West Indies cricket,” Hendricks said.

Samuels spent 13 years at The Gleaner, where he served as a senior photographer. His work, however, extended far beyond the newsroom and the cricket field.

The People’s National Party (PNP), for which he served as official photographer for more than 30 years, said Samuels left behind an invaluable visual catalogue of the party’s journey through post-Independence Jamaica.

Through decades behind the camera, the party said, he chronicled its history with skill, dedication and quiet professionalism, documenting political leaders, major events and defining moments that helped shape the country’s modern history.

Samuels began developing his craft with the Jamaica Progressive League in New York before returning to Jamaica in 1974. He went on to build a reputation as one of the region’s leading photographers, becoming particularly renowned for his coverage of cricket and beauty pageants.

For more than half a century, his camera followed the West Indies team to cricketing nations across the globe. His photographs captured the players, personalities and triumphs of an era when the regional side established itself as the most formidable force in world cricket.

Beyond the boundary, Samuels was also a familiar and respected presence at several Miss World contests, where his work helped chronicle Jamaica’s participation in, and connection to, the international pageant.

Hendricks said Samuels’ trademark felt hat, determination to secure the best angle, and instinct for recognising the defining moment made him a memorable figure both inside and outside the boundary.

“Caribbean journalism has lost a master visual storyteller, but Dellmar’s remarkable body of work will endure,” he said.

The PNP remembered Samuels as a consummate professional and a gentleman of his craft whose contribution extended across journalism, sport, politics and culture.

His photographs, taken over decades of travel and assignment work, stand as a visual archive of a changing Jamaica and a Caribbean sporting era that continues to hold a special place in the region’s collective memory.

While the man behind the camera has gone, the moments he preserved remain – frozen in time through images that recorded not only the action before his lens, but also the spirit, pride and history of the people and institutions he documented.

Samuels is survived by his wife, Carol, and his children, Carey, Karyn and Kornell.

He leaves behind a legacy measured not only by the thousands of photographs he produced, but by the generations who came to understand and remember some of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s most significant moments through his lens.