Found 33 collections related to African American actresses

Girvin, Virginia
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 639
0.42 linear feet (1 box)
Virginia Girvin was an actor, print ad-model, real estate agent, and community activist. As an actor, Girvin worked in multiple mediums such as stage, film, and radio. Her roles were mainly as a domestic, nurse, chorus member, or crowd member. A... more
Angelou, Maya
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 830
200.83 linear feet (408 boxes)
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was one of the most renowned and celebrated voices in American literature. The Maya Angelou papers consist of original manuscripts, computer generated typescripts, galleys, and proofs of published work as well as... more
Jeffries, Ira, 1932-2010
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 794
6.42 linear feet (7 boxes)
Ira L. Jeffries author, playwright and journalist, had a productive career in New York City's off-off Broadway Theater and African American communities. The Ira Jeffries papers consist of biographical material including correspondence, memoirs,... more
Bailey, Pearl
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 824
0.01 linear feet (1 folder)
Pearl Bailey (1918-1990) was an African American actress and singer. In films, she was known chiefly for two roles: Maria in Porgy and Bess(1959) and Frankie in Carmen Jones (1954). She was... more
Rahn, Muriel
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 848
0.71 linear feet (3 boxes)
Best known for her performance in the title role of the original 1943-1944 Broadway production of Carmen Jones, Muriel Rahn (1911-1961) developed a reputation as a performer who was equally talented as a singer and an... more
Carter, Nell
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 904
0.75 linear feet (3 boxes)
Nell Carter was an award-winning singer and actress who appeared in many popular theater, television, and film works from 1971 until her death in 2003. Born Nell Ruth Hardy in 1948, she made her Broadway debut in the short-lived 1971 musical more
Briggs-Hall, Louise Evans, 1921-1992
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 501
0.01 linear feet (1 folder)
Louise Evans Briggs-Hall (1921-1992) was the first African-American woman to become a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, in the early 1950s. She began her career directing children's theatre. She later added stage scenic... more
Browne, Marie Joe, 1902-1999
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 685
1.25 linear feet (3 boxes)
Marie Joe Browne (1902-1999) was an African American dramatic artist, school secretary, and a community volunteer. This collection contains a diversity of materials which document Browne's personal and professional life.
Negro Actors Guild of America
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 259
18.83 linear feet (40 boxes)
The Negro Actors Guild (NAG) was formed in 1936 and began operation in 1937 in New York City as a welfare and benevolent organization for Black performers. The Negro Actors Guild (NAG) records document the functions and activities of this... more
McClendon, Rose, 1884-1936
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 524
6 linear feet (2 flat boxes)
Rose McClendon was one of the most famous black dramatic actresses of the 1920s and 1930s. Although she did not become a professional actor until she was in her thirties, she consistently won critical acclaim for many of her acting roles and... more
Simms, Hilda, 1918-1994
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 539
27.86 linear feet (59 boxes, 4 volumes)
Hilda Simms (1920-1994) was an actress best known for playing the title role in the American Negro Theater production of Anna Lucasta that moved successfully to Broadway in 1944. Her acting career also included film,... more
Washington, Fredi, 1903-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc Micro R-5002
The Fredi Washington Papers, 1922-1941, 1981, n.d., reflect both her private life and her professional career as an actress and activist.
Mills, Florence, 1895-1927
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
.9 linear feet (2 boxes)
Florence Mills (1886-1927), world renowned entertainer during the 1920s. She starred in Lew Leslie's Plantation Revue and Blackbirds after a successful run as the lead in more
Freeman, Kenn, 1917-1991
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 262
2.5 linear feet (3 boxes)
The Kenn Freeman Papers, 1930-1988 document Freeman's life as an actor, singer/dancer, writer/director, and costume and set designer. The collection consists of three series; Personal Papers, Professional Papers, and Family Papers, and include... more
Cato, Minto, 1900-1979
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 91
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Minto Cato, an opera singer and actress, was born in 1900 and died in 1979. A member of the National Negro Opera Company, she also appeared in productions of Gentlemen Unafraid (1938) and more
Urban Arts Corps (New York, N.Y.)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 210
1.5 linear feet
The Urban Arts Corps records consists of the production records for plays produced by UAC from 1967-1983 (bulk dates 1972-1979), and a separate body of material relating to Vinnette Carroll. The material has been divided into two series:... more
Childress, Alice
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 649
The Alice Childress papers document Alice Childress's career as a writer and actress, and her activities in the theatre for five decades in New York City. The Personal Papers series includes correspondence, an oral history conducted by Ann... more
AMAS Musical Theatre (New York, N.Y.)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 463
The AMAS Musical Theatre production files consist of documentation for thirty-six plays produced by AMAS, including both original plays and well known plays such as "It's so nice to be civilized," "Bojangles," "Jam," "Juba," "Blackberries," and... more
McMillan, Allan W., 1900-1991
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 206
4.88 linear feet (7 boxes)
Allan W. McMillan, a longtime columnist for The Amsterdam News and the first Black syndicated columnist, made his reputation as an entertainment writer, Broadway columnist, and publicist. The Allan W. McMillan public... more
Hunter, Alberta
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 329
8.67 linear feet (24 boxes)
Alberta Hunter was a blues singer who toured the world and sang leading roles on Broadway. The Alberta Hunter papers consist of personal and professional papers documenting Hunter's singing and nursing careers.
Buckley, Gail Lumet, 1937-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 327
2.04 linear feet (4 boxes)
This collection consists of original documents and correspondence related to the Horne family, assembled by Gail Lumet Buckley during the research and writing of her book The Hornes: An American Family (New York: Alfred... more
Mercer, Mabel, 1900-1984
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 341
17.08 linear feet (43 boxes)
Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) was a singer, song stylist, and night club entertainer. The Mabel Mercer papers consist of personal and prpfessional papers related to her singing career.
Haynes, Hilda, 1912-1986
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 626
2.79 linear feet (8 boxes)
Hilda Haynes (1912-1986) was a stage, screen, and television actress whose career spanned almost forty years. The Hilda Haynes papers consist of biographical material, speeches and other writings, scripts and reviews, and scrapbooks.
Davis, Ruby S. (Ruby Sheppard), 1916-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 517
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
Ruby Sheppard Davis was an actress, singer, poet, playwright, and the private secretary to actor Leigh Whipper. These scrapbooks include news clippings related to Ruby Sheppard Davis's career as a performer; they also include plays, fables, poems,... more
McClendon, Ernestine, 1913-1991
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 583
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
The Ernestine McClendon papers contain McClendon's scrapbook of responses from ad agencies to her 1960 letter campaign urging them to hire Black actors and actresses. Included in the collection are her resumes, articles and reviews, some letters,... more
Brown, Helen
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 520
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
The Helen Brown scrapbook contains programs and reviews of plays and concerts that took place in New York City between 1926 and 1941. Included are articles and reviews of musicians, singers, actors, writers, such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale... more
Micheaux, Oscar, 1884-1951
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 972
3.98 linear feet (13 boxes, 3 oversize folders)
Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) was a prominent African American author of the early 20th century, and more notably the first African American filmmaker. The Oscar Micheaux papers consist of professional correspondence, financial records, handwritten... more
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 690
4.58 linear feet (12 boxes)
This collection consists of press kits and pressbooks or campaign books for films starring Black actors and actresses; in many cases, these films were directed, produced, and/or written by African Americans as well. The press kits contain sets of... more
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 527
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
This collections consists of promotional literature for films with African American casts. Many of the films are from Norman Studios, which produced silent films featuring African American casts from 1919 to 1928. The rest of the films are mostly... more
Negro Ensemble Company
Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture | Sc Photo Negro Ensemble Company Collection
919 items (3.0 linear feet, 3 boxes). 1 photographic print : silver gelatin, b&w ; 28 x 36 cm. 260 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller. 136 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 21 x 26 cm. and smaller. 2 photographic prints : col ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller. 24 photographic prints : col ; 13 x 9 cm. and smaller. 10 photographic prints : col ; 9 x 13 cm. and smaller. 45 contact sheets : silver gelatin, b&w ; 21 x 26 cm. and smaller. 371 slides : col ; 7 x7 cm. 41 negatives : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm. 1 photomechanical print : halftone, b&w ; 32 x 28 cm
The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) Photograph Collection depicts some of the Company's activities from 1967 through 1992. The collection consists of production scenes; individual and group portraits of actors, playwrights, and other theatrical... more
Indicates that portions of this collection have been
digitized and are available online.