In honor of Poster House’s current exhibition, Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen, members are invited to a private tour of 100: A Century of Collections, Community, and Creativity at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In 1925, the New York Public Library opened the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints—the forerunner to today’s Schomburg Center—as a special collection at its 135th Street branch in Harlem. The division expanded significantly the following year with the purchase of the personal collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the distinguished Puerto Rican–born Black scholar and bibliophile. Schomburg had spent decades collecting books, manuscripts, and art that illustrated Black contributions to global history. Today, the Schomburg Center is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the preservation and study of materials focused on African American, African Diasporic, and African experiences. Its wide-ranging collections illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture, and continue the tradition established by its namesake. This major exhibition showcases many of the extraordinary items from the Schomburg Center’s collections, surrounding visitors with the sights, sounds, and objects that have shaped this historic institution’s first century. Photo credit: Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers, 1934 by Aaron Douglas Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.
