Allen Family

Photographs, 1898-1968.  3 prints.  Family portraits and one group portrait of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Architects.  Gift of Gladys Marie Allen Johnson Thoroughgood.

American Colonization Society

Records (microfilm), 1792-1964. 323 reels.  The society was formed in Washington, D.C. in 1816-1817 to help freed slaves emigrate from the United States to Africa.   It purchased land for resettlement on the west coast of Africa in what is now Liberia, and it was initially supported by antislavery groups and by some slave holders.  The society continued to be active after the Civil War, helping in individuals who wished to emigrate to Liberia.  In the twentieth century it was primarily concerned with the promotion of education in Liberia.  The collection contains correspondence, financial records, annual reports, minutes and proceedings, legal papers, and miscellaneous papers.  The original documents are in the Library of Congress.  For related materials see records of the Maryland Colonization Society.  In English.  Register available.

Applegate, Howard

Photographs, 1890-1910.  16 prints.  Group portraits of Slavic workers and families, Pennsylvania German family group, Irish police sergeant, farm view, African-American women and children and westward-bound migrants; United States.  Gift of Howard Applegate.

Bowser Family

Photographs, 1920-1960.  12 prints.  Family groups and portraits, activities; New York and Philadelphia.  Gift of Viola Bowser.

Citizens Republican Club of Philadelphia of the Soap Box Ministrels

Photograph, 1922.  1 print.  One circuit group portrait; Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Dunbar, Paul (1872-1906)

Papers (microfilm), 1873-1942.  9 reels.  Dunbar was born and lived in Dayton, Ohio.  One of the first African-American writers to achieve national prominence, his verse and short stories used Southern black dialect.  However, he moved away from Black stereotypes in his novels.  The collection contains correspondence, legal and financial papers, miscellaneous papers, literary manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks.  The original collection is in the Ohio Historical Society.  In English.  Register available.

Dutrieuille Family

Photographs, 1910-1970.  28 prints.  Family groups and portraits, social events and organizations, business places; Philadelphia.  Gift of Bernice Dutrieuille Shelton.

Collection, 1971-1972.  1 folder.  The collection consists of letters, bibliographies, and biographical sketches of African-American authors which were sent to Edwards, who was compiling a bibliography of African-American writers.   Included are several descriptions of problems faced by Black writers in being published.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of John E. Edwards.

Edwards, John E.

Photographs, n.d.  4 prints.  Portraits of African-American writers Leroy L. Ramsey, Edward T. Waters, Ronald L. Fair, and A. Bontemps.  Gift of John E. Edwards.

Records (includes microfilm), 1941-1969.  .5 ft.The Negro Public Library was chartered in 1941 and quartered in the basement of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.  Established for the "colored children residing in the vicinity," it was supported entirely by donations of money, books, and furnishings.  It became a city tax-supported institution ca. 1950, and its name was changed in 1961 to the Ella Reid Public Library.  The collection contains a charter, correspondence, librarian's monthly and annual reports, financial reports and budgets, circulation records and registers of borrowers, accession records, property and equipment inventories, minutes of a Board meeting, a field visitor's report on the library by the Texas State Library, and miscellaneous items.  Some of the records are on microfilm.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of Carnegie Public Library, Tyler, Texas.

Ella Reid Public Library

Photograph, ca. 1900.  1 print.  Portrait of local teacher Ann Kayser; Texas.  Gift of Carnegie Public Library, Tyler, Texas.

Governor's Commission on the Los Angeles Riots

Records (microfilm), 1966.  5 reels.  The commission was formed to investigate causes of race riots in Los Angeles in the summer of 1965 and to recommend measures to prevent the recurrence of race-related violence.  The collection contains records of the commission, including transcripts, depositions, and consultants' reports.  In English.  Register available.

Handy Brothers Music Company, Inc., New York

Sheet Music, n.d.  1 OS folder.  The collection consists of 26 manuscripts for jazz songs, some handwritten, including compositions by Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, W. Benton Overstreet, and William C. Handy.  In English.  Register available.

High Street School, Mullica Hill, New Jersey

Photograph, ca. 1920.  1 print.  Group portrait in front of school.  Gift of Ms. Alberta Hynson Holmes.

Maryland Colonization Society

Records (microfilm), 1827-1902.  31 reels.  Founded in 1817 as an auxiliary of the Washington-based American Colonization Society, its primary functions were to gather funds and recruit colonists for the parent society.  It later established a separate colony, Maryland in Liberia, for freed slaves.  The collection includes letter books, shipping books, financial records, manumission lists, journals, bills, subscribers' reports, pamphlets, books, and maps.  The original records are in the Maryland Historical Society.  For related materials see the records of the American Colonization Society.  In English.  Register available.

Correspondence, 1863.  1 item.  This letter from McAllister to Mr. Lossing mentions Robert R. Carson, a State Military Agent of Pennsylvania who was active in recruiting African Americans for the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War.  In English.  Register available.

Papers, 1871, 1967 and n.d.  .25 ft.  William Moore was born in Philadelphia and grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania.  He attended Howard University and taught in Delaware; West Chester; and Cape May, New Jersey.  He founded an elementary and junior high school for Black children in Cape May and was its principal for 52 years.  He worked as a tennis coach at a local country club during the summers.  The collection contains his parents' marriage certificate, his manuscript autobiography, writings on race relations and other subjects, notes on the history of West Cape May and some of its inhabitants, clippings, and uncataloged photographs.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of Wilbur Moore.

Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Records (microfilm), 1832-1949.  8 reels.  Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in Philadelphia in 1793 as the first meeting house for Richard Allen and his followers, who had left St. George's Church because of racial discrimination in 1787.  The church became the nucleus for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was formed in 1816.  The records include minutes of the trustees, financial records; minutes of the Preachers' Association, Philadelphia Conference; minutes of the Ushers' Association; Sunday School and receipt books, and a run of the Christian Recorder.  In English.  Register available.

Mt. Olivet Tabernacle Baptist

Photographs, 1950-1970.  12 prints.  Founders and pastors, church services and buildings; Philadelphia.  Gift of Mt. Olivet Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Papers, 1929-1972.  1 ft.  Henry C. Patterson was a Quaker civil rights advocate and the first Philadelphia Director of the United Negro College Fund.  The collection consists of correspondence related to such matters as Patterson's solicitation of funds for African-American colleges, particularly Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania; integration of the armed forces; Republican Party politics and the Hiss-Chambers case.  It also includes correspondence relating to Patterson's service as an official of the War Relocation Authority and support for compensation for relocated Japanese Americans through the 1970s.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of Mrs. Henry Patterson.

Patterson, Henry C.

Photographs, 1960s.  2 prints.  Commencement procession at Lincoln University, informal portrait of godson.  Gift of Mrs. Henry Patterson.

Porter-Mapp-Boggs Family

Photographs, 1900-1944.  16 prints.  Boggs, Mapp and Porter family portraits; Philadelphia.  Gift of Marvin Porter.

Powell Jubilee Singers

Photograph, 1882.  1 print.  One group portrait.  Gift of Betty Jones.

Rector, Justine J. (1927- )

Papers, 1943-1989.  6 ft.  Justine Rector was born in Philadelphia and educated at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.  She has been an active teacher and journalist and has taught at Howard University and other schools.  She has been involved in promoting civil rights, high standards in journalism, and in documenting and improving race relations, particularly in Philadelphia.  The collections consists primarily of materials documenting Rector's professional activities.  Included are correspondence, research files, publications, clippings, and conference materials.  In English.  Register available.  On permanent loan from Justine J. Rector.

Rector, Justine J.

Photographs, 1969-ca. 1981.  21 prints.  Charles W. Bowser's mayoral campaign, meetings/activities of local community organizations, portraits of local African-American personalities; Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  On permanent loan from Justine J. Rector.

Roberts Family

Photographs, 1920-1944.  6 print.  Family groups, portraits and activities; Philadelphia.  Gift of Diane Roberts.

Scott-Johnson Family

Photographs, 1910-1970s.  12 prints.  Family portraits, groups and cultural activities; Pennsylvania.  Gift of Estella Scott Johnson.

Papers, 1920s-ca. 1981.  12 ft.  Bernice Dutrieuille Shelton was born in Philadelphia.  She was among the earliest African-American graduates of Girls' High, and became a journalist in the early 1920s.  Shelton contributed regular features on social news and columns on other subjects to area African-American newspapers, including the Philadelphia Tribune and the Baltimore Afro-American,serving as both special correspondent and advertising representative for the Afro-American. She was active in a number of civic organizations including the YWCA, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs.  The collection contains personal and professional correspondence and related materials, drafts and clippings of many of Shelton's columns, drafts of a history of the Dutrieuille family written by Shelton, miscellaneous writings and printed materials, and uncataloged photographs.  In English.  Inventory available.  Gift of Peter Shelton.

St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church

Records (photocopies, microfilm), 1795-1896.  9 items, 2 reels.  The collection contains photocopies of deeds tracing the ownership of the Church's property, and church baptismal and marriage records on microfilm.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church.

St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church

Photographs, 1910-1920.  19 prints.  Group portraits of confirmation classes, sports team and event; Philadelphia.  Gift of Father John Muka.

Papers, 1894-1922.  1.75 ft.  James Samuel Stemons was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and settled in Philadelphia ca. 1900.  A postal worker, journalist and writer, he served as the editor of two short-lived African-American newspapers: The Philadelphia Courant and the Pilot.  He was also active in several civic organizations.  An outspoken advocate for equal industrial opportunities for Blacks, he lectured and published extensively on race relations.  He served as Field Secretary of the Joint Organization of the Association for Equalizing Industrial Opportunities and the League of Civic and Political Reform.  The collection documents Stemons' personal and professional life, and includes correspondence, printed materials, writings, clippings, and the manuscript of his unpublished autobiographical novel.  In English.  Register available.

Thomas, Robert

Photograph, ca. 1864.  1 print.  One portrait of Robert Thomas in military uniform (Civil War; Co. E. 32 Colored Regiment).  Gift of Grace Jones.

Correspondence, 1937.  1 page.  In this letter to Harry W. Zollars, he thanks him for his compliments on Turpin's These Low Grounds.  In English.  Register available.

Twigs, Inc

Records, 1974-1988.  10.25 ft.  The Twigs Mothers' Club was founded in Yeadon in 1948 as "an association whose objective is to encourage and foster mental, physical, social and cultural development of the children who are members."  The organization is national in scope and sponsors a wide variety of activities.  The collection contains national records (1977-1986), and records from the North Montgomery Chapter (ca. 1980-1986) and the Philadelphia Chapter (1974-1988).  Included are minutes, correspondence and mailings, financial records, organization histories, installation and membership records, scrapbooks, printed materials, and uncataloged photographs.  In English.  Inventory available.  Gift of the organization.

Varick Memorial Temple

Photograph, n.d.  1 print.  View of the Temple, Philadelphia.  Gift of Shirley Smith.

Viri Viginti Club of Philadelphia

Records, 1914-1990.  1.5 ft.  The Viri Viginti Club, a male social club, was established in Philadelphia in 1914.  The membership of twenty meets approximately five times a year and holds a garden party each spring.  The records include minutes, correspondence, information on membership, a scrapbook, and uncataloged photographs.  In English.  Inventory available.  Gift of the organization.

Warley Bascom and Sons

Ledger, 1903-1910.  1 volume.  A free African American originally from Madagascar, Warley Bascom left Charleston, South Carolina in 1861 to establish an upholstery and interior decorating business in Philadelphia.  Two sons and a daughter continued the business until 1973.  The ledger shows customers' accounts and includes an index listing customers alphabetically by name.  There is a brief family history by Elizabeth Powers in the library.  In English.  Register available.  Gift of Ethel B. Sarjeant.

Works Progress Administration, Slave Narrative Collection

Records (microfilm), 1936-1938.  11 reels.  The records consist of narratives prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Projects Administration.  The narratives were compiled from interviews with former slaves conducted by project staff.  The states represented include Indiana, Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.  The original records are in the Library of Congress.  In English.  Register available.

SERIALS

Advocate

Newspaper, 1914-1918.  1 reel.  Published weekly in Cleveland, Ohio by Ormond A. Forte.  Continued by Cleveland Advocate.

Atlanta University

Publications, 1896-1908.  1 reel.  Published annually in New York by Harper 1896-1947.  Series of papers concerning social and political problems of African Americans.  Includes works by W.E.B. Du Bois.

Bronzeman

Periodical, 1931-1933.  1 reel.  Published monthly in Chicago, Illinois by Fireside Publications.  "A popular magazine for all."

Brownies' Book

Periodical, 1920-1921.  1 reel.  Published monthly in New York City by Du Bois and Dill, 1920-1921.  "A monthly magazine for children of the sun."

Challenge

Periodical, 1934-1937.  1 reel.  Published quarterly in Westport, Connecticut by Negro Universities Press, 1934-1937.

Christian Recorder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

Newspaper, 1854-1856, 1861-1865, 1894-1898.  3 reels.  Published weekly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the Book Committee of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1852-1960.

Cleveland Advocate

Newspaper, 1918-1920.  1 reel.  Published weekly in Cleveland, Ohio by Ormond A. Forte.  Continues the Advocate (Cleveland, Ohio).

Color

Newspaper, 1944-1957.  5 reels.  Published in Charlestown, West Virginia by Color, Inc.

Colored American

Newspaper, 1840-1841.  1 reel.  Published weekly in New York City by Robert Sears, 1837-1842.

Colored American Magazine

Periodical, 1900-1909.  2 reels.  Published monthly in Boston, Massachusetts by the Colored Co-operative, 1900-1909.

Douglass' Monthly

Newspaper, 1859-1863.  1 reel.  Published monthly in Rochester, New York beginning in 1858.

Elevator

Newspaper, 1865-1898.  1 reel.  Published weekly in San Francisco, California by The Elevator Publishing Company, beginning in 1865.  "Equality before the law."

Guide to Negro Periodical Literature

Periodical, 1941-1946.  1 reel.  Published quarterly in Jefferson City, Missouri by Lincoln University, 1941-1946.  Compiler, Albert P. Marshall.

Harlem Liberator

Newspaper, 1933-1934.  Partial Reel.  Published weekly in New York City by the League of Struggle for Negro Rights.  Official organ of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights.  Continues the Liberator. Continued by the Negro Liberator.

Inter-State Tattler

Newspaper, 1925-1932.  1 reel.  Published weekly in New York by the Inter-State Tattler Company, beginning in 1925.

International Negro Workers' Review

Newspaper, 1931, numbers 1 and 2.  2 issues.  Published in Hamburg, Germany by The Committee.  Continued by Negro Worker.

Liberator

Newspaper, 1831-1865.  11 reels.  Published weekly in Boston, Massachusetts by William Lloyd Garrison and Isaac Knapp, 1831-1865.

Liberator

Newspaper, 1929-1932.  Partial reel.  Published weekly in New York by the American Negro Labor Congress, 1929-1932.  Official organ of the American Negro Labor Congress, 1929-1930; of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights, 1931- 1932.  Continued by the Harlem Liberator.

Messenger

Newspaper, 1917-1928.  1 reel.  Published monthly in New York by the Messenger Publishing Company, 1917-1928.

Negro College Quarterly

Periodical, 1943-1947.  1 reel.  Published quarterly in Wilberforce, Ohio by Wilberforce University, 1943-1947.

Negro Liberator

Newspaper, 1934-1935.  Partial reel.  Published in New York City by the League of Struggle for Negro Rights.  Official organ of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights.  Continues the Harlem Liberator.

Negro Worker

Newspaper, 1931-1937.  1 reel.  Published monthly in Hamburg, Germany by the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers, 1931-1937.  Continues the International Negro Workers' Review.

New York Age

Newspaper, 1905-1953.  24 reels.  Published weekly in New York City by Fortune and Peterson, 1887-1953.  "Devoted to the general interests of the American Citizens of African descent."  Continued by the New York Age Defender.

New York Age

Newspaper, 1957-1960.  3 reels.  Published weekly in New York City by Gotham Publishing Company, 1957-1960.  Continues the New York Age Defender.

New York Age Defender

Newspaper, 1953-1957.  5 reels.  Published weekly in New York City by the New York Age Publishing Company, 1953-1957.  Continues the New York Age. Continued by the New York Age.

Quarterly Review of Higher Education Among Negroes

Periodical, 1933-1940.  2 reels.  Published quarterly in Charlotte, North Carolina by Johnson C. Smith University, 1933-1969.

Voice of the Negro

Periodical, 1904-1907.  1 reel.  Published monthly in Atlanta, Georgia by J.L.Nichols, 1904-1907.