Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. 7.2 lin. ft. (6 record boxes, 1 archival box, 1 print box, 2 card file boxes)

Summary

1. The Helen Armstead-Johnson Papers reflect some aspects of the personal life and professional career of this African-American theater historian and educator. The collection consists of personal papers, files from her teaching career, correspondence, lectures, writings, and research material.
2. The Personal papers series, 1931-1988, includes a copy of her master's thesis "A Semantic Analysis of [Joseph] McCarthy's Language (1955)." Of interest in the Teaching career series is a subject file on the topic "Black English" and material pertaining to her teaching English and African-American theater history at York College (City University of New York). There are also letters requesting information about Black theater history. Johnson's research relating to African American entertainers overseas is reflected in correspondence with individuals in the Soviet Union, Australia, and Austria. The series Professional activities, 1960-1995, consists of information about lectures, consultancies, research grants, and conferences. The files also contain correspondence pertaining to her lectures on various aspects of African American theater history, and copies of these lectures and conference papers.
3. The Writing series, 1954-1979, reflects Johnson's long-standing interest in Black theater history and consists of copies of her published articles, as well as manuscript drafts of unpublished papers. Her adaptation of the libretto for "In Dahomey" and her production files form part of the series, along with material about the original production. Additionally, her early interest in Edmund Burke is documented with her lengthy manuscript, "Reform and Revolution in the Political Theory of Edmund Burke: His Interpretations of the English, American, and French Revolutions." The series Research material, 1964-1984, consists of Johnson's handwritten notes, news clippings, and writings by other researchers.

Alternative title

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson Collection

Subject

1. African American college teachers
2. African American women college teachers
3. Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research
4. Theater > History > 20th century
5. Johnson, Helen A
6. Theater > History > 19th century
7. Minstrels
8. Black English
9. McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957
10. Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797
11. African American women
12. Black author
13. African American theater

Call number

1. Sc MG 599

Note

1. Photographs transferred to Photographs and Prints Division.

Source (note)

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson

Biography (note)

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson (1920-2006) was an English professor and the founder/director of the Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research, whose purpose was to collect, preserve, document and exhibit African American contributions to the American stage. Johnson spent her professional life as an educator, primarily at the college level, and taught for 23 years at York College, City University of New York, until her retirement in 1990.

Author

1. Johnson, Helen A.

Title

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson papers, 1942-1995.

Biography

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson (1920-2006) was an English professor and the founder/director of the Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research, whose purpose was to collect, preserve, document and exhibit African American contributions to the American stage. Johnson spent her professional life as an educator, primarily at the college level, and taught for 23 years at York College, City University of New York, until her retirement in 1990.

Source

1. Helen Armstead-Johnson Gift Dec. 1996 SCM 96-38

Connect to:

1. Finding Aid

Local subject

1. Black author.

Research call number

1. Sc MG 599