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Postcard Books

Whether physically battling or fighting for representation through the legislative process, African Americans, against great resistance, have striven for progress and achieved success in American politics.  From the shocking violence of the Boston Massacre t the groundbreaking acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention of 2008, the twenty-nine images in this book of postcards present profound and pivotal moments and movements in African American history.

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29 postcards. Published by Pomegranate, 2009.

Treasures from the Schomburg Image

Artists of the African Diaspora have made monumental contributions to the world of art, producing an influential body of work informed by the black experience.  This book of thirty postcards celebrates the work of artists from Ethiopia, Dahomey (Benin), and Haiti, their names now sadly lost, as well as some Americans who are known worldwide – Hale Woodruff, Augusta Savage, Charles Alston, Archibald Motley Jr. – and others who aren’t but should be.

The works reproduced here are all from the collections of the Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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30 postcards. Published by Pomegranate, 2006.

Portraits of Immigrants Image

At the turn of the twentieth century, Ellis Island in New York Harbor became the primary entry point for European immigrants and a symbol of hope for a new life in America. Between 1892 and 1924, twelve million people (more than 70 percent of all immigrants in those years) passed through the immigration station there. Proud, fearful, delighted, dignified, or perhaps just curious, the newly arrived look out at us in this moving collection of 30 postcards--evocative portraits depicting the varied faces of our diverse ethnic heritage.

All the images are from The New York Public Library's extensive collections about Ellis Island and the immigrant experience.

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Published by Pomegranate in association with The New York Public Library, 2004.

Photographs from the Collections of Anthony L. Powell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Image

In recognition of African Americans' service during the Civil War, in 1866 Congress authorized six black infantry regiments (subsequently consolidated into the Twenty-fourth and the Twenty-fifth U.S. Infantry) and two cavalry units (the Ninth and the Tenth U.S. Army Cavalry). Black soldiers served admirably in Texas, the Southwest, and the Great Plains, maintaining order on the frontier and distinguishing themselves during the Indian Wars (thirteen enlisted men earned the Medal of Honor). During the harsh winters, the soldiers wore coats made of buffalo hides. Because of the coats' appearance and the men's own tightly curled hair, the Native Americans called them 

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Published by Pomegranate in association with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, 2004.

Traditional Art by African Women Image

Photographs and Captions by Margaret Courtney-Clarke

The acclaimed photojournalist Margaret Courtney-Clarke has spent more than 20 years traveling in Africa, recording the art of African women. Her contribution to history has been to preserve in her photographs the diverse arts of Africa's traditional cultures. In South Africa and West Africa, women paint their adobe homes with bold designs in brilliant colors. All over the continent, women who live traditionally create pottery and textiles in the spirit of their ancestors. Similarly, dazzling talent at body painting and adornment can be found throughout Africa.

This book of postcards presents 30 splendid examples of African art and design. These photographs 

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Published by Pomegranate in association with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library, 2004.

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