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Creator
Tucker, Lorenzo
Call number
Sc MG 453
Physical description
3.42 linear feet (4 boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
[Item], Lorenzo Tucker papers, Sc MG 453, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Lorenzo Tucker was a stage and screen actor. The Lorenzo Tucker papers reflect portions of Tucker's screen and stage career, and also discuss his service during World War II and his varied occupations in the 1960s-1980s.

Biographical/historical information

Born in 1907 in Philadelphia, Lorenzo Tucker was a stage and screen actor, appearing in eleven all-Black movies (1927-1936) produced by film pioneer Oscar Micheaux. Frequently appearing as the romantic lead, he was billed as the "Black Valentino." Tucker performed in vaudeville and dramatic theater. In addition to acting and directing his own troupe in the 1950s, he was in the stage production of Mae West's The Constant Sinner. In the 1970s-1980s, he gained national recognition for his early movie career.

Tucker served in the infantry and as an entertainment specialist during World War II. Later, he worked as a photographer. From 1961 to 1974, Tucker was an assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, Dr. Milton Helpern. At other times, Tucker's varied career and economic necessity led him to become a broadcaster, house painter, and security guard. Tucker died in 1986 at age 79.

Scope and arrangement

The Lorenzo Tucker papers reflect portions of Tucker's screen and stage career, and also discuss his service during World War II and his varied occupations in the 1960s-1980s. There is no original material from his early acting career with Oscar Micheaux, but there are several scrapbooks representing his theatrical performances, including the touring production (British Isles) of the American Negro Theatre's Anna Lucasta and his role as road manager for an all-Black production of Harvey starring Dooley Wilson. Another scrapbook features Tucker's World War II experience as a trainee in MacDill Field, Florida, and an entertainment specialist through programs, clippings, and other printed material.

The collection documents Tucker's efforts to share his knowledge about Black film and theater through correspondence, which references his early acting career. There is a folder of letters from an actor friend, Jay Flash Riley, 1979-1980, and a limited number of letters regarding his work as a photographer, with clients such as Sepia Magazine, the Catholic Actors Guild, and the International News and Picture Syndicate. The recognition in the 1970s-1980s for his pioneering work as an actor is documented in awards and appreciations presented to him by such organizations as the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and L.A.-D.C. Connection, Inc.

The collection includes programs and playbills from films and theatrical presentations in which Tucker acted, served as the master of ceremonies, or was the official photographer. Additionally, there are scripts, several authored by Tucker. Included are scripts for plays in which he performed such as Harvey and Ol' Man Satan, and a number of radio dramatizations and television programs. The majority of the News clippings series contains articles mentioning Tucker; a number show photographs he took as a member of the International News and Picture Syndicate. Additional clippings discuss other Black actors with whom Tucker worked.

The Lorenzo Tucker papers are arranged in seven series:

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Purchase, Pauline Segura Tucker, March 28, 1988.

Revision History

Finding aid updated by Lauren Stark. (2022 May 26)

Processing information

Processed by Janice Quinter, 2006.

Separated material

Transferred to the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division: books and periodicals.

Transferred to the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division: audio and moving image materials. For more information, please contact the division at schomburgaudiovisual@nypl.org or 212-491-2270.

Trasnferred to the Photographs and Prints Division: photographs.

Using the collection

Location

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor