In the early decades of the 20th century, Harlem, like neighborhoods in other northern cities, shifted. On May 8, 1925, the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints at the 135th Street branch library opened to a Harlem community eager to learn about the Black past. This new division both reflected and anticipated a neighborhood in transition.
Within the Negro Division’s reading room, students and scholars accessed special and rare collection items like Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1745–1797), Pietro Calvi’s sculpture Ira Aldridge as Othello, and an original edition of verse by Phillis Wheatley. The collections, then, like now were multidisciplinary and multi-modal, representing the breadth of intellectual and cultural production across the African diaspora.
100 celebrates the story of the Schomburg Center’s storied collections, which today number in the millions, and continue to inspire learners, seekers, and creators. 100 celebrates a century of committed collecting and dedicated stewardship by generations of Schomburg Center librarians, curators, and educators who have nurtured the creation of new knowledge. 100 celebrates the historic legacy of this singular institution as we stand on the cusp of our new century.
Curated by Joy Bivins, Schomburg Center Director. Curatorial support provided by Laura Mogulescu, Exhibition Manager.
