Schomburg Center Holds Personal Photos, Writings & More of Harry Belafonte
The Schomburg Center mourns the loss of activist, actor, singer, and producer Harry Belafonte who passed away on April 25, 2023.
Mr. Belafonte was a humanitarian and multi-talented artist who brought excellence and gravitas to performances spanning the theatre such as John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, film classics such as Carmen Jones, and recordings such as 1956’s “The Banana Boat Song." Called the “King of Calypso,” he brought its sounds to a worldwide audience.
The Center held a pop-up display in his honor, which was open through Saturday, April 29, 2023. If you would like to learn additional information about this Emmy, Grammy and Tony-award-winning artist, schedule an appointment to view material in our collections. Materials highlight his life, legacy, and humanitarian work.
Pop-Up Display in the Lobby of the Langston Hughes Auditorium
In honor of Mr. Belafonte, Maira Liriano, associate chief librarian, and Rhonda Evans, assistant chief librarian of the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division created a pop-up display located in the lobby of the Langston Hughes Auditorium that was on view through April 29. Items featured included vintage issues of magazines such as Ebony, Mr. Belafonte’s song books, biographies, his memoir, and more.
Additionally, the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division (MIRS) created a display on the Record Wall in its division. It includes his albums such as Calypso and Belafonte Sings the Blues, plus his films such as Carmen Jones, Buck and the Preacher, and The World, the Flesh and the Devil.
The Record Wall is expected to be up through mid-May. Researchers should schedule an appointment to view.
Librarians and curators at the Schomburg Center created a pop-up display in honor of Harry Belafonte. The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Photos: Lisa Herndon
View In-Person Materials in the Collections
The Schomburg Center's Photographs & Prints Division holds the personal photos of Harry Belafonte in its collections. In this photo taken between 1960-1965, Mr. Belafonte is holding his son David on his shoulders while talking to visitors on Liberty Island in New York.
In 2020, the Center acquired Mr. Belafonte’s collection, which includes personal correspondence, manuscripts, scores, photographs, and notes documenting his work on 1963’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Additional items of interest reflect his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa such as a proposed television series about Mandela, the itinerary from Mr. Belafonte's 2001 visit to the country, and a program from the 1999 presidential inauguration of Thabo Mbeki. Mr. Belafonte's papers can be accessed in the Schomburg's Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division. Learn more about Harry Belafonte's Papers at the Schomburg.
Personal photos in the Center’s Photographs and Prints Division date from 1925 through the 2010s. The pictures, contact sheets, negatives, and slides, document his acting and singing careers, political and humanitarian causes, travel, and more.
Catch the Grammy Award-winner in concert. MIRS holds the live performance, An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends on video disc. He performed a mix of new songs and fan favorites such as “The Banana Boat (Day-O)” in 1997. In An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, Glover is in conversation with Belafonte discussing his life and career.
Collection materials on Harry Belafonte include notes on 1963’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with Martin Luther King, Jr. and his itinerary from his 2001 visit to South Africa. In addition to fighting for civil rights in the U.S, Mr. Belafonte advocated for the end of apartheid in South Africa. In this 1957 photo by Austin Hansen, Mr. Belafonte in interviewing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. George Goodman, community news director at WLIB radio is on the left.
Alumnus of the American Negro Theatre (ANT)
Born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Martinique and Jamaica in 1927, Belafonte began his artistic career at the 135th Street Branch Library in the American Negro Theatre. He decided to become an actor after seeing a performance there. He developed lifelong friendships with troupe players such as Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. Today, the theatre is part of the Schomburg complex and is located on the lower level of the Landmark Wing.
Founded by playwright Abram Hill and actor Frederick O'Neal, the ANT produced plays that illuminated and examined African American life and the concerns of Black people, especially the Harlem community where the company was based.
In 2016, the Center created an exhibition in celebration of its 75th anniversary. You can view images of the installation online.
The Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division holds the theatre’s records.
Additionally, A.J. Muhammad, head research librarian at JBH, included information on the ANT in his online research guide African American Theater.
Harry Belafonte was a member of American Negro Theatre. He learned and honed his acting skills alongside fellow actors who would become lifelong friends such as Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier. Belafonte is seated on the left in this 1946 photograph.
Harry Belafonte Appears in Center’s Welcome Video
Mr. Belafonte believed in the Center’s mission to protect and preserve people. Whether you are attending the Center’s public programs in person or online. “It was a gift to us and our community,” he said of the Center in its Welcome Video, which is shown before every public program.
View the Shona Statue in the Center’s Courtyard
Presented in 2013 by Mr. Belafonte’s then wife Julie Belafonte, the Center’s courtyard features a Shona sculpture by Zimbabwean artist Tapfuma Gutsa. The artwork belonged to Mr. Belafonte.
Recent Blog Posts About the Center’s Collections:
- Akasha Hull Papers Now Available at the Schomburg Center
- Sheroes in the Schomburg Center’s Collections
- The Legacy of Audley "Queen Mother" Moore and Her Battlecry for Reparations
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