The New York Public Library purchased Arthur A. Schomburg's collection of books, pamphlets, prints and photographs in 1926 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation and housed at the 135th Street Branch Library of The New York Public Library. L....
more
The New York Public Library purchased Arthur A. Schomburg's collection of books, pamphlets, prints and photographs in 1926 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation and housed at the 135th Street Branch Library of The New York Public Library. L. Hollingsworth Wood was appointed in 1925 by the Board of Trustees of The New York Public Library to purchase and provide guidelines for the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature. Members of the Advisory Committee of the Arthur A. Schomburg Collection, in addition to Wood, included Arthur A. Schomburg, Henry G. Leach, New York Public Library, Mrs. Charles S. Brown, Jr., Library trustee; and Eugene Kinckle Jones, Secretary of the National Urban League. Charles S. Johnson, editor of
Opportunity magazine, managed the negotiations between the officials of the National Urban League and Mr. Schomburg. The 135th Street Branch Library, under the guidance of Ernestine Rose, the Head Librarian, already had a nucleus of a reference library, the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints that had officially opened on May 8, 1925. The Schomburg Collection became a major part of this reference library. Schomburg Committee of the Trustees of New York Public Library Files consists of correspondence and minutes of meetings of the Schomburg Committee of the Trustees of The New York Public Library. There are also some news clippings relating to the purchase of the Arthur A. Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature comprised of books, pamphlets, prints, manuscripts and other material. The post 1926 papers include correspondence pertaining to efforts to keep Arthur Schomburg on the library payroll, acquisition of additional material, and Arthur Schomburg's research plans. The correspondence is largely between L. Hollingsworth Wood, president of the National Urban League and member of the Advisory Committee of the Arthur A. Schomburg Collection, and Franklin Hopper, Chief of Circulation of the NYPL; Charles S. Johnson, Secretary of the Advisory Committee; Dr. F. P. Keppel of the Carnegie Corporation; Henry G. Leach, Chairman of the Advisory Committee; Ernestine Rose, Librarian of the 135th Street Branch Library; and Arthur A. Schomburg.
less