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Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture
The New York Public Library
Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations

Schomburg — a celebration

One of the world's most extensive collections for the study of all aspects of Black culture had its beginnings fifty-six years ago when The New York Public Library responded to the needs of the rapidly changing community served by its 135th Street Branch Library. By 1924 the 135th Street Branch, which had formerly served a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, was inundated by requests for material by and about Black writers, artists, and musicians.

The Librarian of the branch, Miss Ernestine Rose, began to form a reference collection of Black materials to meet the developing interests of the community. Local leaders and scholars were encouraged to give materials and funds for the growing collection. On May 8, 1925, the Library officially opened its Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints at the 135th Street Branch under the supervision of Mrs. Catherine A. Latimer.

In 1926 the Division's basic reference holdings were greatly augmented by the acquisition of the private collection of Arthur A. Schomburg (see his biography below). The Carnegie Corporation of New York provided funds for the Library to acquire Mr. Schomburg's materials. The Division continued to flourish and grow under the personal attention of Mr. Schomburg himself, who served as its Curator from 1932 until his death in 1938, when it was renamed in his honor.

As it grew, the Schomburg Collection clearly was becoming a civic and cultural institution which played a vital role in a community considered the capital of Black America. In the 1930's, for example, it was coordinating center for WPA projects which helped support black scholars later recognized as leaders in their fields.

Under Dr. L.D. Reddick, Mr. Schomburg's successor as Curator, the scope and activities of the Collection had been expanded to include far-reaching exhibitions and programs. In 1941 the Collection was moved to the adjacent top floor of a new branch library building facing 136th Street and eventually expanded to fill the old building on 135th. Dr. Reddick resigned in 1948, and the Library appointed Dr. Dorothy Williams to succeed him. But after a tenure of several months, Dr. Williams accepted a position with UNESCO and she was succeeded by Jean Blackwell Hutson.

The 1960's brought a new recognition of the importance of Black studies. This resurgence of interest--spurred on by the civil rights movement--greatly affected the Schomburg Collection. Scholars and writers of all races took a renewed interest in the historical, economic, social, and psychological forces operating in the Black community. Between 1960 and 1966 the number of visitors to the Schomburg doubled and within six years, quadrupled.

On May 1, 1972, in a major organizational change designed to meet the specialized needs of its users, the Schomburg Collection became one of the four main components of The New York Public Library's Research Libraries, whose Director was then James W. Henderson. In the same year, its name was changed to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

In 1970 The New York Public Library had presented the City with a plan for replacing the 1905 building. In 1973 a new site was purchased by the city for that purpose, the west side of Lenox Avenue (adjacent to the old building) between 135th Street and 136th. Unfortunately, two years later the City's financial crisis brought a halt to the project until the Federal Government made special construction funds available under the Public Works Employment Act in 1976. The City, the Library, and supporters of the Schomburg were able to win approval for an award of $3.7 million for building the new Center.

The Schomburg Corporation 

In March 1971, a corporation was formed by a group of leading citizens concerned with the Schomburg's condition, needs, and future. Their efforts were effective in gaining increased public recognition of the importance of the collection and the need for a new building to house it. The Schomburg Corporation with the Library was instrumental in obtaining a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1972 and in raising matching funds to help meet the requirements of that grant. The New York Public Library, with support from the Schomburg Corporation, was successful in obtaining continuations of these grants in following years. The first president and chairman of the Board of the Schomburg Corporation was Frederick O'Neal, the distinguished actor, director, and union leader.

The New Schomburg Center

Ground-breaking ceremonies for the new Schomburg Center were held on June 8, 1977. In April 1979, the adjacent 74-year-old building then housing the collection, which was designed by McKim, Mead and White, was formally listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The new five-story building for the Schomburg Center, whose dedication we celebrate this weekend, has the increased space and the modern environmental control and delivery systems to protect and make available its various holdings. We can give here only a brief indication of their scope. In addition to the more than 75,000 volumes, many of them irreplaceable, there are particularly useful indexed files (under some 10,000 subject headings).

In the Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section are works of the Harlem Renaissance writers, books on slavery and abolition, such landmarks of Black literature as the carefully preserved annotated manuscript of Richard Wright's Native Son, the Fisher Haitian collection, and papers of such prominent individuals and organizations as Dr. Robert C. Weaver, Lawrence Brown, the Civil Rights Congress, and the International Labor Defense League. Its precisely arranged photography collection is also notable.

The Arts and Artifacts Section includes sculpture, paintings, and prints of American, African, and European origin--from the earliest Black artists to today's.

In the Center's Audiovisual Section, the music collection, including 10,000 records, documents the wide variety of Black music throughout the world. The oral history collection provides taped or filmed interviews with leading Black authors, politicians, labor officials, and performers.

With these treasures safely preserved for use in its new home, the Schomburg Center truly symbolizes the ideals represented by its traditions: to be an unparalleled research source for scholars form all over the world, for all those who wish to explore the meaning and varieties of the Black experience and heritage. 

To celebrate the opening of the new building, a special weekend of dedication has been planned. The program of the dedication ceremonies is listed within, along with biographical tributes to two important figures in the history of the Center, Arthur A. Schomburg and Jean Blackwell Hutson.

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