- unitid
-
{"value"=>"20769", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"Sc MG 44", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b11883946", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1924-1979", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1924/1979"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture records"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"65 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"23.92 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The records of the Schomburg Center document the activities of the six individuals who managed the library, dating to its establishment by Ernestine Rose. The records are divided into the following series: General Correspondence, Reference Correspondence, Memoranda, Subject Files and Visitors' Registers. The majority of the material consists of subject files containing a considerable amount of correspondence."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p> The Birth of a New Institution</p> <p>When the New York Public Library opened its 135th Street Branch in 1905, the surrounding neighborhood was predominantly Jewish. By 1920 it was half black. Because of her experience in developing service in other ethnic neighborhoods, Ernestine Rose, a librarian with the New York Public Library, was assigned to adapt the branch's staff and resources to meet the needs of the burgeoning community. Catherine Allen Latimer, the first black professional librarian employed by The Library, joined the staff in 1920; and Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian, was hired in 1922 to assist a Spanish - speaking community developing in Harlem.</p> <p>By 1924 Harlem had become the \"black capital,\" a utopian breeding ground for the explosion of intellectual and creative achievements which became known as the \"Harlem Renaissance\". A new race consciousness was in the air, and the heightened interest in materials by and about black people began to take a heavy toll on the library's resources. Books were deteriorating from overuse; many titles had gone out of print; and funds were inadequate to purchase available titles. To resolve this dilemma, Ernestine Rose turned to the black community for help.</p> <p>A meeting called by Miss Rose in December 1924 created a citizens committee which elected Arthur Schomburg, James Weldon Johnson, Hubert H. Harrison and John Nail as officers. The group recommended that the rarest books be set aside as a reference library. Gifts and loans for the special collection came from the private libraries of noted black collectors including John E. Bruce, Louise Latimer, Hubert Harrison, George Young, Dr. Charles D. Martin and Arthur Schomburg.</p> <p>The year 1925 was a very exciting time for the black cultural community. The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke, was published; and on May 8 the new Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints was officially opened in the 135th Street Branch Library. In 1926 a Carnegie Corporation grant enabled the New York Public Library to acquire Arthur Schomburg's personal collection, bringing immediate international stature to the Negro Division.</p> <p>Arthur Schomburg's collection had been built around his firm conviction that, \"The American Negro must remake his past in order to make his future.\" His collection substantiated those conclusions and reflected his concern for documenting black achievements on a global scale.</p> <p>At the time of its acquisition, Arthur Schomburg's collection included over 5,000 volume, 3,000 manuscripts, 2,000 etchings and portraits and several thousand pamphlets. Catherine Latimer was the first staff person put in charge of the Negro Division. Latimer integrated the original rare book collection and Schomburg's collection into the Library system, and she served as the reference librarian until her retirement in 1946. She also created a unique reference tool with her initiation of the Clipping File, which includes information from flyers, newspaper and magazine articles, pamphlets and ephemera. In 1932 the Carnegie Corporation awarded a grant which made it possible for the Library to hire Arthur Schomburg as curator for the Negro Division.</p> <p> The Development of the Schomburg Center</p> <p>Although the depression brought an end to the cultural euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance, the 135th Street Branch Library continued its role as a literary and cultural center. While Arthur Schomburg was curator, the holdings of the Negro Division were expanded and organized. The first detailed description of the Division's manuscript holdings, the Calendar of the Manuscripts in the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, was begun that same year by the New York City Historical Records Survey, a WPA program; and the first phase of the work was completed in 1938, just two weeks before Arthur Schomburg's death. The Negro Division was renamed the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, History and Prints in his honor.</p> <p>Dr. Lawrence D. Reddick, a noted historian and lecturer, was appointed to succeed Schomburg as curator in 1939. The Collection continued to grow under his direction as new books by and about black people were purchased immediately upon publication, and rarities were added as funds and availability permitted. While maintaining its basic program objectives, he felt that the Collection should also \"take a positive interest in race relations at home and abroad.\" The library began to offer an expanded agenda of public activities to a New York City black population which had tripled since 1920 to 450,000, and others interested in black affairs. Reddick initiated lecture series which were sometimes co - sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) or the Urban League, and organized exhibitions and programs to mark special occasions, including the anniversaries of significant black historical events. One of Reddick's most successful projects was the annual presentation of the Schomburg Collection's Honor Roll in Race Relations awards; honors highly respected by the recipients and the public. In addition, the library served as the home of the American Negro Theater which launched the careers of several black actors and actresses.</p> <p>As the Collection developed, it outgrew the space provided for it at the 135th Street Branch. Plans were made to construct a new building, and the collection was temporarily housed in the Harlem Branch Library on 124th Street for a year while the new 135th Street Branch building was built. In 1942, the Collection moved into the entire top floor of the new building.</p> <p>Dr. Reddick resigned in 1948 to accept the position of Chief Librarian of Atlanta University; and was replaced by Dr. Dorothy Williams (Collings), who had been a cataloger for the Schomburg Collection in 1939 and 1940. Dr. Williams served as curator for only six months, but during that time she conducted a survey which resulted in recommendations that served as operating guidelines for the next two decades. She concluded that the Schomburg, with its heavy schedule of public events and community activities, was overburdened in its attempt to serve \"simultaneously as a branch library and a scholarly research library. \"Among other measures, she recommended that there be \"conscious guidance of the Schomburg Collection in the direction of its becoming an active research and reference library unit of top flight. \"Jean Blackwell (Hutson) was assigned to the collection as acting curator when Dr. Williams was granted a six - months leave of absence. When Williams accepted a permanent position with UNESCO, however Blackwell was appointed curator, and charged with carrying out Dr. Williams' recommendations where possible and feasible.</p> <p> The 1950s</p> <p>During the 1950s Jean Hutson focused on processing four storerooms of material which had accumulated following Catherine Latimer's retirement; and publicizing the Collection to local</p> <p>groups who were not aware of its contents. Among the special events during the decade was the 25th anniversary of the Schomburg Collection, which was observed in 1950 with speakers and an exhibition in The New York Public Library's Central Building on Fifth Avenue; followed by a concert at the 135th Street Branch, which was renamed in honor of Countee Cullen the following year. Langston Hughes, a friend of Arthur Schomburg, Jean Hutson and the Schomburg Collection, wrote a new poem \"Prelude to Our Age\" for the occasion.</p> <p> The1960s</p> <p>During the 1960s, a renewed interest in black history and culture came in the wake of the civil rights movement. The renewal of interest did not limit itself to the civil rights struggle or the civil disorders and their causes but instead expanded to encompass history, literature and art as well. Between 1960 and 1966 the annual number of registrants at the Schomburg doubled; by 1972 it had quadrupled. The Dictionary Catalog of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature and History by the G. K. Hall Company of Boston in 1962 sold well to libraries throughout the United States, Europe and Africa.</p> <p>The Schomburg Collection reached a major turning point in its development in 1966. As Ernestine Rose had done in 1924, Jean Hutson turned to the black community for help. In accepting a citation for meritorious service from the New York Branch of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Mrs. Hutson expressed extreme concern about the deteriorating condition of the Collection. Overuse of resource materials by readers, air pollution, exposure of materials to excessive heat and humidity and overcrowded storage facilities were hastening its demise.</p> <p>Jean Hutson's alarm also triggered efforts by other supporters to upgrade the Collection's status within the New York Public Library system, and to secure financial aid from government and private sources. The Schomburg Collection had begun to receive funds in 1965 for extra staff and acquisitions from the North Manhattan Project, a program funded by the federal Library Services and Construction Act. With the aid of community support, the grant was extended until 1973. A Ford Foundation grant in 1967 provided funds for an archival preservation program. That same year, Ebony Magazine published a feature article on the \"Schomburg's Ailing Condition. \"</p> <p>An umbrella organization was formed in 1968 to coordinate the efforts of individuals and organizations involved in Schomburg support activities. The group was later incorporated as The Schomburg Collection of Black History, Literature and Art, Inc., and is popularly known as \"The Schomburg Corporation\". In 1969 the Library presented a plan to the city for replacing the 1905 building in which the Collection was housed.</p> <p> The 1970s</p> <p>Administrative, space and preservation needs were addressed in major ways during the 1970's. The Schomburg Collection assumed a new status and a new name in 1972 when it was designated as part of The Research Libraries of The New York Public Library and became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Because it had been established without an endowment, the Center had been placed in The Branch Libraries in 1925. The growth and condition of its holdings and the special services required by researchers created the need for a reassessment of its status. Under the new designation, Jean Hutson became chief of the Center. Its holdings were incorporated into the Research Libraries bibliographic data base and its computer - produced book catalog.</p> <p>In 1973, James W. Henderson, Andrew W. Mellon Director of The Research Libraries, conducted a survey resulting in recommendations that would provide guidelines for the Center's development. Henderson underscored the need for a new building in his report, and noted its importance as a symbol, \"For here, visibly, the black heritage and the black contribution to society will be preserved and passed on for the benefit of all.\"</p> <p>The Library and the Schomburg Corporation worked with city agencies in the early 1970's to gain approval for a development plan. The city purchased the site on the west side of Lenox Avenue between 135th and 136th Streets in 1973, and the buildings were approved for demolition the following year. Hopes for laying a cornerstone on the Center's 50th anniversary in 1975 were dashed, however, when a city financial crisis halted work on the project.</p> <p>Then, in 1976, the tide began to turn. Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and City Councilman Fred Samuel succeeded in having a construction item of $100,000 restored to the city's capital budget. In January 1977 the city, the Library and Schomburg supporters secured $3.7 million in construction funds under the federal government's Public Works Act of 1976; and the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held in June. The 1905 building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1978, making an additional pool of government sources accessible for restoration funds.</p> <p>Preservation and conservation funds came through state and federal grants. In 1972 The New York Public Library and the Schomburg Corporation received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant of $200,000 in combined outright and matching funds. Matching funds were raised through mail appeals from the Committee for the Schomburg Center, co - chaired by Mrs. Ralph J. Bunche, John Hope Franklin and Robert C. Weaver. The funds made it possible for the Center to undertake the first complete inventory of its holdings in twenty - five years. A second NEH grant of $400,000 in 1974 provided funds for cataloging, preservation and conservation, and the initiation of a quarterly newsletter. State Senator Sidney von Luther spearheaded successful funding efforts in the New York legislature in 1973 and 1974. The work was continued the following year by State Senator Carl McCall and Assemblyman George Miller with support from the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus.</p> <p>By 1978, the major preservation problems were under control, and the Rare Books, Manuscripts and Archives Section and the Audio - Visual Section (later renamed the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division and Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division respectively) were established as departments. In 1980 Jean Hutson was appointed New York Public Library's Research Libraries' Assistant Director of Collection Management and Development for Black Culture. Her 1966 warning had been heeded, however, and a new building stood as concrete evidence of her dedication and concern.</p> <p>The \"History\" section was taken from The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: 60th Anniversary Tribute. (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), May 14, 1980.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The records of the Schomburg Center document the activities of the six individuals who managed the library, dating to its establishment by Ernestine Rose. The records are divided into the following series: General Correspondence, Reference Correspondence, Memoranda, Subject Files and Visitors' Registers. The majority of the material consists of subject files containing a considerable amount of correspondence.</p> <p>The files have been divided into two periods. The first period, 1921-1948, begins with the administration of Ernestine Rose, who was the head librarian of the 135th Street Branch Library and is credited with establishing the collection, and also covers the leadership of Catherine Latimer, Arthur A. Schomburg, Lawrence D. Reddick and Dorothy Williams.</p> <p>The second period, 1949-1979, covers the curatorship of Jean Blackwell Hutson and the acting curatorship of Wendell Wray (July 1964-September 1965). Wray served in this capacity while Jean Hutson was in Legon, Ghana working as the Assistant Librarian in charge of Africana at the Balme Library, at the invitation of President Kwame Nkrumah. These files are further subdivided into ten year spans: 1949-1959, 1960-1969 and 1970-1979.</p> <p>Correspondence is separated into two subseries; General Correspondence, 1924-1979, and Reference Correspondence, 1933-1979. Both subseries consist of incoming and outgoing letters in which the letter sent to the curator precedes the response. The letters are arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name and chronologically within each name. In cases where the organization is more prominent than the individual correspondent, the letters are filed under the organization's name.</p> <p>General Correspondence consists largely of letters of appreciation, invitations, donations and proposals. The Reference Correspondence is primarily letters requesting information about black history and culture and the resources of the Center. There are also several requests for the loan of art work or exhibition materials. The correspondence reflects both the uniqueness and the richness of the source material contained in the Schomburg Center..</p> <p>The Memoranda, 1947-1978, are arranged in chronological order with the earliest date first. The memos are to and from such New York Public Library departments as the Business Manager's office, the Personnel Officer, Adult Services Office, Accounting Office, Photographic Services, Manhattan Borough Office, Office of the Branch Libraries and The Research Libraries Administrative Office. The memos address themselves to the internal problems particular to the Schomburg, such as the acquisition of material, staff meetings, building maintenance and security.</p> <p>The Subject Files, 1921-1979, are arranged in alphabetical order by title. These reference files vary greatly, from Articles and Reports by the curator to Statistical Reports and Exhibition files. Some noteworthy files include those for Art, the Ira Aldridge Society, W. E. B. Du Bois Presentation, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, National Urban League, North Manhattan Project and several folders of financial records.</p> <p>Of particular note is the file on Harlem on my Mind, which deals with the controversial exhibition presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1969) that showed the life and achievements of the black residents of Harlem through photographs. The Harlem on my Mind files contain correspondence, memos, research material and press releases. A considerable amount of the correspondence is between Allon Schoener, the visual arts director of the exhibit, and Thomas Hoving, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The complete list of subject file folders is enumerated in the Container List.</p> <p>The Visitor's Register, 1952-1979, is a daily statistical record of all visitors to the Schomburg Center. It records the name, address, date and particular affiliation of the visitor such as school or business firm.</p> <p>A selected list of correspondents is available.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture records are arranged in four series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20769#c1328691'></a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1921-1948</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20769#c1328728'></a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1949-1959</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20769#c1328790'></a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1960-1969</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20769#c1328927'></a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1970-1979</div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by L. Harrison/S. Davis.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Reference Correspondence is restricted. Permission of the curator of the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division is needed for access.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Lawrence Reddick papers, Sc MG 974, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</p>"}
- sponsor
-
{"value"=>"This inventory is one of several prepared as a part of the archival preservation program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research division of the New York Public Library.The Schomburg archival preservation program involves the organization and preservation of primary source material held by the Center and of significance to the study of the Black Experience. It furthermore includes the preparation of detailed inventories of these records, making the information contained therein accessible as well as available to scholars. The necessary staff and supplies for this program were made available through a combination of Library, National Endowment for the Humanities grant, and State of New York grant funds. Finding aid updated as part of the Home to Harlem Project, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation"}
- revisiondesc
-
{"value"=>"This finding aid was updated by Allison Hughes.", "date"=>"2021April 8"}
- date_start
-
1924
- keydate
-
1924
- date_end
-
1979
- date_inclusive_start
-
1924
- date_inclusive_end
-
1979
- extent_statement
-
23.92 linear feet (65 boxes)
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"[Item], Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture records, Sc MG 44, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library"}