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Creator
St. Philip's Church (Harlem, New York, N.Y.)
Call number
Sc Photo St. Philip’s Church Collection
Physical description
3.17 linear feet (8 boxes). 1,073 photographic prints. 6 photographic slides. 10 photographs : : negatives. 13 photographs : : contact sheets
Language
English
Preferred Citation
St. Philip's Church photographs, Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library
Repository
Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The St. Philip's Church is an Episcopal Christian church that was established in Harlem, New York in 1819. The St. Philip's Church photographs, which dates from 1908 to 2009 (bulk dates 1940s-1980s), holds over 1,100 photographs. Images in the collection depict clergy, church officials and members of the congregation; routine church services; special events; and community engagement.

Biographical/historical information

First established as the Free African Church of St. Philip in Lower Manhattan in 1809, the institution became St. Philip's Episcopal Church in 1819. St. Philip's relocated several times, gradually moving farther uptown until 1911, when the current church building on West 134th Street in Harlem was dedicated. The building, designed by the prominent African American architecture firm Tandy & Foster, is a designated New York City Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

From its beginning in the 19th century, the church took a strong stance in challenging injustices such as slavery, racial discrimination, inadequate city services, and quality of life issues. Leaders of the church committed the institution to serving the greater good of the community, especially Harlem. Over time, the church acquired property in the surrounding neighborhood that would become both physically and financially integral to carrying out the church's various ministries.

St. Philip's Church is known for working on behalf of both its congregants and the wider Harlem community. Under Reverend M. Moran Weston, who served as rector from 1957 to 1982, St. Philip's greatly expanded the reach of its religious services and social programs, which include managed housing, a credit union, a day care, and a community center.

Scope and arrangement

The St. Philip's Church photographs dates from 1908 to 2009, with the majority dating from the 1940s through the 1980s. The bulk of this collection consists of black-and-white 8x10" photographic prints. Additionally, a small quantity of 11x14" black-and-white prints, some snapshots, and a few 35mm slides are present. Photographs frequently are captioned or labeled in some way. Date information is noted more rarely.

Photographs in this collection primarily document church history, served publicity purposes, or recorded the church's real estate development interests. The collection holds many journalistic and portrait photographs taken by professional photographers including Clement Constan, Austin Hansen, Lisa Larsen, Cecil Layne, and Ernest L. Mabry. The collection also holds candid photographs taken by congregants, church officials, and others.

Images in the collection depict clergy and church officials, church committees and choir members, church buildings, routine church services, and political activism. There are also images of special events, including ceremonies, celebrations, and guest speakers. Photographs of community programs, such as day care, senior housing, and youth groups are also present.

Notably, the collection holds files on four successive rectors who led the church from 1886 through 1990: Reverends Hutchens Chew Bishop (1886-1933), Shelton Hale Bishop (1933-1957), M. Moran Weston (1957-1982), and Chester L. Talton (1985-1990). Some dignitaries and celebrities appearing in the collection include: Clifford C. Campbell, Ossie Davis, Gerald Ford, Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, Charlie Rangel, Jackie Robinson, Percy Sutton, Whitney Young, Jr., and Roy Wilkens.

Depictions of church history prior to the 1940s are very rare within the collection. These images are typically copied images printed later than the dates depicted.

The collection also contains several files of paper and printed Material, including newsletters, business cards, caption sheets separated from photographic prints, notes and envelopes from photographers or photographic labs.

Arrangement

The St. Philip's Church photographs is arranged alphabetically by subject, with files of paper and printed material ordered at the end.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by St. Philip's Church in 1982, 1986, and 2012.

Processing information

Processed by Heather Halliday in 2025.

Separated material

See the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division for the St. Philip's Church records Sc MG 67.

Using the collection

Location

Photographs and Prints Division. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Photographs and Prints Division Reading Room