Directory, Part 2
CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP LIBRARY SYSTEM. LAMOTT FREE LIBRARY.
Mailing Address
LaMott Free Library
7420 Sycamore Avenue
LaMott, PA 19126
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-635-4419
Fax: 215-635-4419
Web Address: hcooper@mclinc.org
Contact Person(s)
Name: Dorothy Jeffries
Title: Library Assistant
E-mail: djeffries@mclinc.org
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon 3-5pm; Tue 3-5, 6:30-8:30pm; Wed 2-5pm; Thu 10:30-11:30am, 3-5, 6:30-8:30pm; Fri 3-5pm; Sat 12-4pm
General Description
African American Book Collection
Books900 Items
Separately shelved collection of books by or about African Americans. The collection includes biography, history, and fiction and is generally geared towards the general interests of adults and young adults. Approximately 15% of the collection is children’s literature with another 15% being reference materials geared towards helping students with school assignments.
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CHESTER COUNTY ARCHIVES
Mailing Address
Chester County Archives and Records Services
601 Westtown Road, Suite 080
P.O.Box 2747
West Chester, PA 19380-0990
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-344-6763
Fax:
Web Address: www.chesco.com/~~cchs/chesco_archives.html
Contact Person(s)
Name: Laurie A. Rofini
Title: Archivist
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm (reading room)
General Descriptions
Collection consists of the historic government records of Chester County. Records date from 1681-1995, with the majority from 1714-1905. Includes records from the following offices: Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court, Recorder of Deeds, Commissioners, Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Directors of the Poor, and Coroner. The Chester County Archives is administered by the Chester County Historical Society in cooperation with the County of Chester.
Court of Quarter Sessions, Fugitive Slave Records, 1805, 1820-1839
Manuscripts2 inches
Records filed in the Court of Quarter Sessions for fugitive slave cases heard in Chester County by judges and justices of the peace. Records usually contain slave’s name, age, and physical description and his or her master’s name and residence. Most of the fugitives were from Maryland, Virginia, or Delaware. Records are indexed.
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CHESTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. LIBRARY
Mailing Address
Library
Chester County Historical Society
225 North High Street
West Chester, PA 19380-2691
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-692-4800 ext 226
Fax: 610-692-4357
Web Address: www.chesco.com/~~cchs
CONTACT PERSON(S)
Name: Diane P. Rofini
Title: Librarian
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Tue 9:30am-4:30pm; Wed 1-8pm; Thu-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm
General Description
United Political Action Committee of Chester County, PA, Records, ca. 1960-1993
Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Memorabilia, Manuscripts4 Cubic Feet
Includes minutes, resolutions, legal papers, publicity, clippings, photographs, and other materials documenting the history of this local civil rights group. Topics include: biographical information on members; 1966 campaign of Dr. Charles Butler for Congress; 1967-1968 action to increase the representation of poor and minority peoples on the Community Action Board of Chester County; 1967 reorganization of the Human Relations Commission of the Commonwealth of PA; 1972-1992 papers related
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to the racial discrimination class action suit against Lukens Steel Co. of Coatesville; 1975 action with Coatesville NAACP against the VA Hospital; 1982 petition to the State NAACP for censure of the West Chester Area School District; 1984 action to end At-Large elections in Chester County in favor of ward elections. Also includes collection of Letters to Editor, written by Dr. W.T.M. Johnson, 1960-1993. Persons represented in the collection include: Norman W. Bond, Charles H. Butler, Dr. W.T.M. Johnson, Charles A. Melton, Bayard Rustin, Willie Stokes, Joyce T. Sutton, Robert L. Wright, and others.
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CHESTNUT HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Mailing Address
Chestnut Hill Historical Society
8708 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-247-0417
Fax: 215-247-9329
Web Address:
Contact Person(s)
Name: Liz Jarvis
Title: Archivist/Curator
Access
Open to Public, Appointment Preferred
Hours
Tue, Fri 9am-2pm (Archives/Collections Room)
General Description
The Society's collections deal with the history of Northwest Philadelphia and the surrounding parts of Montgomery County from the 18th Century to the present. The 15,000 items in the collection include architectural drawings and other building records; photographs; maps; prints; drawings; deeds; diaries; research papers; books; oral histories; objects; and miscellaneous archival and genealogical materials.
Rudy Miles Collection, ca. 1930-1959
1996.186-.206Photographic Materials, Memorabilia, Manuscripts, and Oral Histories
Approximately 60 Items
Information from one person's point of view of growing up as a part of the small African American community in Chestnut Hill, including interaction with all levels of society and types of nationalities in Chestnut Hill. Includes information on the Jenks School and the Water Tower Recreation Center and a variety of amateur sports teams. Also includes some information on the Germantown section. Access with permission of donor only.
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Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1864
1996.541 Book1 Item
Includes the compiled publications of 1864 with references to African American troops and African American society in America.
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CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. LESLIE PINCKNEY HILL LIBRARY
Mailing Address
Leslie Pinckney Hill Library
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney Road
Cheyney, PA 19319
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-399-2071
Fax: 610-399-2491
Web Address: www.cheyney.edu
Contact Person(s)
Name: Helen Boyd
Title: Head, Technical Services
E-mail: hboyd@biddle.cheyney.edu
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Thu 8:30am-10pm; Fri 8:30am-5pm; Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 4pm-6pm
General Description
Founded in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the oldest historically African American educational institution in America. The college began its existence in Philadelphia as the Institute for Colored Youth. The Institute for Colored Youth successfully provided a free classical education for qualified young people. In 1902, the school was moved to George Cheyney’s farm, 20 miles west of Philadelphia. In 1913, the name was changed to Cheyney State Teachers’s College: and in 1959, Cheyney State College. In 1983, Cheyney joined the State System of Higher Education as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
African American Collection, ca. 1900-Present
Books680 Linear Feet
This collection consists of books documenting various aspects of African American history and culture. Copies of many literary and historical works are represented and less than 5% of the books are considered rare.
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CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. LESLIE PINCKNEY HILL LIBRARY. UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES.
Mailing Address
University Archives
Leslie Pinckney Hill Library
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney Road
Cheyney, PA 19319
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-399-2557
Fax: 610-399-2491
CONTACT PERSON(S)
Name: Eric D. Dulin
Title: University Archivist
E-mail: edulin@biddle.cheyney.edu
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Tue-Thu 1-5pm
General Description
Founded in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the oldest historically African American educational institution in America. The college began its existence in Philadelphia as the Institute for Colored Youth. The Institute for Colored Youth successfully provided a free classical education for qualified young people. In 1902, the school was moved to George Cheyney’s farm, 20 miles west of Philadelphia. In 1913, the name was changed to Cheyney State Teachers’s College: and in 1959, Cheyney State College. In 1983, Cheyney joined the State System of Higher Education as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The collection documents the history and development of Cheyney University from 1832 to the present. The collection also contains books, artwork, and manuscript materials relating to the history of African Americans.
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Art/Print Collection, 1915- ?
Collection 3Paintings and other works of art
36 Linear Feet This artificially created collection of paintings and works of art was donated by alumni and other individuals and include works by Henry O. Tanner, Reba Dickerson Hill, John T. Harris, and others. Many of these works are scattered across Cheyney’s campus.
Cheyney University, Records, 1832-Present
Collection 1Books, Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Periodicals, Memorabilia, Manuscripts
500 Linear Feet
Collection contains the records of various administrative bodies of Cheyney including the Office of the President and Council of Trustees; student alumni records; publications including yearbooks, brochures, commencement programs, newsletters, catalogs, journals, etc.; photographs of Cheyney past presidents, faculty, alumni, buildings, and miscellaneous events; and miscellaneous scrapbooks, artifacts, and memorabilia all relating to the history of Cheyney University.
William H. Dorsey Collection, ca. 1780-1939
Collection 2Books, Manuscripts, Scrapbooks
55 Linear Feet
William H. Dorsey was a prominent African American bibliophile who distinguished himself as an artist and reputable collector of rare African Americana during the nineteenth century. The collection consists of books, manuscript materials, and a set of scrapbooks comprised of clippings taken from a variety of local and national newspapers from the period 1847-1906. Subjects covered in the collection include African Americans, Africa, Native Americans, politics, religion, education etc. Most of the scrapbooks have been microfilmed and are on deposit at other repositories in the Delaware Valley as well as available at the University Archives.
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CIVIL WAR LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Mailing Address
Civil War Library and Museum
1805 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-735-8196
Fax: 215-735-3812
Web Address:
Contact Person(s)
Name: Steven J. Wright
Title: Curator
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Wed-Sun 11am-4:30pm
General Description
Collection contains some books, photographs and manuscripts relating to African Americans in the Civil War and the African American military experience.
African-Americans in the U.S. Military, 1863-1918
Photographic Materials, Memorabilia, ManuscriptsThis "collection" is a reflection of a special exhibition on display at the Museum from September 3, 1997 to September 6, 1998. Most of the artifacts on exhibit were from private collections and a catalog under the same title as this "collection" was published in 1998.
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EASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. AUSTEN K. DE BLOIS LIBRARY.
Mailing Address
Austen K. De Blois Library
Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
6 Lancaster Avenue
Wynnewood, PA 19096
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-645-9318
Fax: 610-645-5707
E-mail: ebasemlib@ebts.edu
Web Address: www.ebts.edu
Contact Person(s)
Name: Melody Mazuk
Title: Library Director
E-mail: ebasemlib@ebts.edu
Access
Open to Public (In Library Use Only)
Hours
School Year: Mon-Thu 8:30am-10pm; Fri 8:30am-4:30pm; Sat 9am-4:30pm
Summer: Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm
J. Pius Barbour Black [Church] Studies Collection
Library of Congress Call NumbersBooks
1,700 Items
The collection is named in honor of Rev. J. Pius Barbour, the first African American graduate of Crozer Theological Seminary and mentor to a generation of young African American preachers, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is comprised of materials which support studies about the African American Church experience as well as providing historical coverage about African American culture.
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EASTON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY. MARX ROOM.
Mailing Address
Marx Room
Easton Area Public Library
515 Church Street
Easton, PA 18042-3857
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-258-2917
Fax: 610-253-2231
Web Address: www.eastonpl.org
Contact Persson(s)
Name: Barbara Bauer
Title: Senior Coordinator
E-mail: eappublic@hslc.org
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Fri 10am-12pm, 1-4pm. Winter also Sat 9am-12pm, 1-5pm.
Summer also Wed 5-9pm.
Schomberg Collection
909 S369c HEMicroforms (35mm)
218 reels A microfilm collection of materials by and about African Americans the originals of which are found at the Schomberg Library.
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FIREMAN'S HALL MUSEUM.
Mailing Address
Fireman's Hall Museum
147 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2010
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-923-1438
CONTACT PERSON(S)
Name: Henry J. Magee
Title: Firefighter/Curator
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Tue-Thu 9am-4:30pm
African American Firsts in the Philadelphia Fire Department
Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Memorabilia, and Manuscripts2 Items
Information package.
African American Inventors and Patents - Fire Service Collection
Photographic Materials and Microform CopiesInformation package which concerns African American inventors and their patents concerning fire services. The collection includes copies of patents, biographical information, and lists of research sources and internet addresses.
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Engine 11
Photographic Materials, News Clippings, and Memorabilia2 Items
Information package on African American Engine Company in Philadelphia Fire Department.
Frank Johnson Collection
Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Memorabilia, Exhibit on Second Floor10 Linear Feet
Letters, proclamation, brochure, and information package about Frank Johnson, an African American songwriter.
James Herman Francis Collection
Photographic Materials, MemorabiliaInformation package about James Herman Francis, a member of the African American Engine Company 11 in the Philadelphia Fire Department.
Valiants
News Clippings and MemorabiliaInformation packet concerning this African American organization active within the Philadelphia Fire department.
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FRIENDS HISTORICAL LIBRARY OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE
Mailing Address
Friends Historical Library
Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-328-8496
Fax: 610-328-7329
E-mail: friends@swarthmore.edu
Web Address: www.swarthmore.edu/Library/friends
Contact Person(s)
Name: Mary Ellen Chijioke
Title: Curator
E-mail: mchijio1@swarthmore.edu
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30; Sat 9-12pm (When College Is In Session).
See Web page for holiday hours.
Association for the Care of Colored Orphans, Records, 1822-1979
RG 4/008Manuscripts
6 Linear Feet
The Association was formed in 1814 by Quaker women of Philadelphia to aid African American orphan children. From 1890-1933 it was known as the Shelter for Colored Orphans and later as the Shelter for Colored Children. In 1946 it became the Shelter for Colored Girls and, finally, in 1965, the Shelter for Girls. Since 1915 it has been
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located in Cheyney, PA. Collection includes charter; Board of Trustees minutes; financial records; names of children; and correspondence.
Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons, Records, 1789-1905
RG 4/009Manuscripts
1.3 Linear Feet The Association was organized by Quakers in Philadelphia in 1789 as “a society for the free instruction of orderly Blacks and People of Colour." It provided free adult education to African Americans until 1904, when it was dissolved and the cash and securities of the Association were transferred to the Institute for Colored Youth (see Richard Humphreys Foundation Records). Collection includes constitution; history; minutes, 1789-1905; Executive Committee; Board of Managers; Women’s Association, 1795-1845; committees; and financial records, 1831-1898.
Baltimore Society for the Protection of Free People of Color, Records, 1827-1829
RG 2/Ba/BYM Misc/B2Manuscripts
1 Item
A chiefly Quaker organization founded in Baltimore to assist African Americans threatened with kidnapping. Collection includes constitution, bylaws, and minutes (1827-1829).
Benezet House Association, Records, 1846-1945
RG 4/010News Clippings, Periodicals, Manuscripts
2 Linear Feet
The Association was founded by Quakers in 1917 to assist and educate poor African Americans and immigrants to Philadelphia. Over time it gradually absorbed other Quaker bodies who also served the Philadelphia African American community. Collection includes records of the Locust Street Mission Association; Joseph Sturge Mission School, 1864-1918; Beehive School for Colored Children, 1865-1888; and Benezet House Association, 1917-1940. Includes correspondence, minutes, reports and surveys, membership lists, historical accounts, and legal accounts.
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Friends' Association in Aid of Freedmen, Minutes, 1864-1867
RG 2/Ba/BYM Misc/F8Manuscripts
1 Item
Baltimore Quaker organization formed to assist former slaves during and after the Civil War. Collection consists of one minute book.
Friends' Freedmen's Association, Records, 1863-1982
RG 4/024Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Periodicals, Memorabilia, Manuscripts
5 Linear Feet
Founded by Philadelphia Quakers in 1863 as the Friends' Association of Philadelphia and Its Vicinity for the Relief of Colored Freedmen, the Association’s purpose was to provide relief and education to freed slaves during and after the Civil War. Following Reconstruction, it continued to sponsor schools for African Americans in the South. Collection includes charter and by-laws, 1902-1970; Executive Board records, 1863-1982; Instruction Committee records, 1866-1868; school reports, 1888-1892; correspondence, 1866-1892, 1928-1935, and 1950-1956; annual reports, 1864-1894; financial records, 1863-1903; schedule of goods forwarded, 1866-1883; Women’s Aid Committee records, 1862-1875; Christiansburg Industrial Institute records, 1897-1923; The Freedmen's Friend , 1906-1924; miscellaneous printed materials; memorabilia; and photographs.
New York Association of Friends for the Relief of Those Held in Slavery and the Improvement of Free People of Color, Records, 1839-1844
RG 4/051Manuscripts
1 Linear Foot
Quaker society in New York which supported the abolition of slavery and educational opportunities for African Americans. Collection includes minute book, list of members, and papers relating to business affairs.
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New York Manumission Society, Records, 1787-1827
UnprocessedManuscripts
1 Item
Begun in 1787 chiefly by Quakers, the Society advocated the abolition of slavery and assistance to African Americans in New York. Collection consists of a membership list.
Richard Humphreys Foundation, Records, 1837-1977
RG 4/059Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Periodicals, Memorabilia, Manuscripts
6 Linear Feet
The Foundation was created as the result of a bequest of Richard Humphreys, who left funds for the establishment of a school for African Americans in Philadelphia. Founded as the Institute for Colored Youth, the school moved to Cheyney, PA in 1904. The State of Pennsylvania took over the school in 1922 and the corporation changed its name to the Richard Humphreys Foundation, using funds from the endowment to promote the education of African Americans to become teachers. Records in the collection, prior to 1922, concern the management of the Institute for Colored Youth, predecessor to Cheyney University. After 1922 the records concern the provision of scholarships for African Americans planning to become teachers. Collection includes correspondence, charter and bylaws, minutes of the Corporation Board of Managers and its committees, financial and legal records, school reports, annual reports, catalogues, and memorabilia.
Schofield Normal and Industrial School (Aiken, SC), Records, 1870-1957
RG 4/060Photographic Materials, Periodicals, Manuscripts
1 Linear Foot
Founded in 1868 by Martha Schofield (1839-1916), a Pennsylvania Quaker, the School initially provided education for freed slaves. It gradually evolved into a boarding school for training young African Americans in industrial trades or to become teachers. The School was absorbed into the public school system in 1952. Collection includes accounts; Board of Trustees minutes, 1886-1942; Bulletins; catalogs; charter of incorporation, 1886; constitution; correspondence, 1892-1957; financial papers, 1879-1959 (with gaps); legal papers, 1870-1952; photographs; programs; reference materials; and miscellaneous other papers.
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Society for the Free Instruction of Black People, Records, 1819-1822
RG 4/061Manuscripts
1 Item
This was a Quaker organization operating a charity school for African Americans in Philadelphia. Collection consists of a minute book.
Sunnycrest Farm for Negro Boys (Cheyney, PA), Records, 1855-1956
RG 4/043Periodicals, Manuscripts
Founded in 1855 in Philadelphia by Mary Jeans as the Home for Destitute Colored Children, a Quaker women’s charity which provided shelter and education for African American children (mostly boys). The organization placed their clients with private families, at one point as apprentices. The Home changed its name in 1922 when it moved to Cheyney, PA. Collection includes minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1856-1947; annual meeting minutes, 1933-1956; Committee on Management minutes, 1855-1891, 1904-1944; financial records, 1922-1937; annual reports, 1856-1925 (with gaps); and miscellaneous other papers.
Writing Assignments, 1790-1802
SC/011Manuscripts
1 Linear Foot
Manuscript samples and thank-you letters from African American scholars (probably adult) to their Quaker teachers in Philadelphia.
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GERMANTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES.
Mailing Address
Library and Archives
Germantown Historical Society
5501 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-844-0514
Fax: 215-844-2831
Web Address: www.libertynet.org/~~ghs
Contact Person(s)
Name: Cynthia Gosling
Title: Acting Director
E-mail: ghs@libertynet.org
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Tue, Thu 10am-4pm; Sun 1-5pm or by appointment
General Description
A collection of materials related to Germantown history from 1680 to the present including: genealogy records, business, church, and school archives, community organization archives, maps, deeds, oral histories, and an extensive photograph collection. Includes a variety of materials in books, news clippings, photographs, periodicals, films/videotapes, and oral histories concerning African Americans. Among the topics included are family histories and information on players in the Negro Baseball Leagues.
African American Genealogy Group, Archives
Books, News Clippings, Periodicals300 Items
The Archives contains books, journals, newspaper clippings, guides to African American genealogy, and travel guides.
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HAVERFORD COLLEGE. MAGILL LIBRARY. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
Mailing Address
Special Collections Department
Magill Library
Haverford College
Haverford, PA 19041
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-896-1284
Fax: 610-896-1102
Contact Person(s)
Name: Emma J. Lapsansky
Title: Curator, Special Collections
E-mail: elapsans@haverford.edu
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-12:30pm, 1:30-4:30pm
General Description
Haverford College is a major repository for printed materials relating to the Society of Friends. The Special Collections Department contains in their manuscript collections more than 250,000 items centering on American and British Quakerism, with special emphasis on Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
African American Photographs (Haverford College Photograph Collection)
812 B-RPhotographic Materials
Approximately 110 Items
Photographs of individuals and views by photographers who include James Van DerZee and Carl Van Vechten.
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Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans (The Shelter), Records, 1822-1945 (Quaker Microfilm)
BX 7643.C53 A1aMicrofilm
4 reels
Collection is comprised of Managers minutes, 1822-1945, and Register of Children, 1822-1934.
Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons, Records, 1789-1904 (Quaker Microfim)
BX 7643.A8 Z45zMicrofilm
1 reel
Collection is comprised of constitution, 1832; Executive Committee minutes, 1838-1840; Managers minutes, 1840-1891; minutes, 1789-1904; and women’s minutes, 1795-1845.
Bethany Mission for Colored People, Records, 1862-1936. (Quaker Manuscript Collection)
1133Manuscripts, Photographic Materials
11 Items
Records are comprised of deeds to a property on Brandywine Street; constitution, 1869; minute book, 1862-1866; final minutes concerning sale of Brandywine Street property; and photographs.
Friends' Association of Philadelphia and Its Vicinity, for the Relief of Colored Freedmen, Records, 1863-1973
BX 7643.A12Microfilm
5 reels
Collection for this organization, also known as Friends' Freedmen’s Association, is comprised of Executive Board minutes, 1863-1973; statistics of schools, 1866-1868; Women’s Aid Committee, 1864-1866; and Instruction Committee, 1864-1881.
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New York Colored Mission, Records, 1865-1952 (Quaker Manuscript Collections)
1123Manuscripts
Approximately 1,000 Items
The records of this organization, founded as the African Sunday School Association, are comprised of accounts and donations, correspondence, minutes of the Board of Managers and Board of Trustees, and miscellaneous other materials.
School for Black People, Records, 1770-1919 (Quaker Microfilm)
BX 7643.S37Microfilm
1 reel
Includes minutes of the Overseers.
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Mailing Address
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-732-6200, 732-6201
Fax: 215-732-2680
Contact Person(s)
Name: Cynthia Little
Title: Vice President, Research Services
E-mail: vphspcjl@aol.com
Access
Open to Public with Daily Research Fee
Hours
Tue, Thu 10am-4:45pm; Wed 1-8:45pm; Fri, Sat 10am-4:45pm
General Description
Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds historical materials of national importance. Today HSP provides one of the nation’s largest non-governmental repositories of documentary materials housing more than 500,000 books, 300 graphic works, and 15 million manuscript items. It is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has excellent library collections on local and regional history, and offers a manuscript collection renowned for its 17th, 18th, and 19th century holdings. In addition to the collections listed below, the Historical Society contains a wealth of material on African Americans within various other holdings, including the Constance H. Dallas papers, the William G. Armstrong Diaries, the Edward Carey Gardiner Collection, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Collection, and the photograph and newsclipping morgue from the Philadelphia Record.
American Negro Historical Society, Records and Correspondence, 1790-1905
Manuscripts8 Linear Feet
The American Negro Historical Society was founded in 1897 by a group of Philadelphia blacks to study and preserve materials documenting the American black experience. Among the founders and early members were Robert Adger, W.M. Dorsey, and Jacob C. White, Jr., who donated materials to the society, some of which are present in the collection. Included are records of the society, 1897-1904. Among the materials collected by the society and presented by Leon Gardiner, Philadelphia printer, are the records of several civic and philanthropic organizations: Banneker Institute; Benezet Joint Stock Association of Philadelphia; Agricultural and Mechanics Association of Pennsylvania and New Jersey; Cultural, Social and Statistical Association of the Colored People of Philadelphia; Lebanon Cemetery, Philadelphia; Benjamin Lundy Philanthropic Society, Daughters of Africa; Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League, 1864-1872; and Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia, 1895-1901. Also included are the records of the First African Presbyterian Church, 1832-1846; Second African Presbyterian Church, 1832-1838; Zoar Sabbath School; Vaux Consolidated School, 1870-1901. Also included are correspondence and schedules of the Philadelphia Pythians, a black baseball club, 1867-1870; miscellaneous correspondence and broadsides of such organizations as the Philadelphia Library Company and the Colored People's Union League Association, and several letters and speeches of Isaiah C. Wears, 1856-1901, and Jacob C. White, Sr. and Jacob C. White, Jr., 1832-1899, some autograph material of Benjamin Banneker, 1790-1891, and Frederick Douglass, 1870-1875.
David Paul Brown, Papers, 1810-1841
Manuscripts1 volume
Materials include speeches and extracts delivered in court on public occasions by David Paul Brown, with an account of a tribute to Brown presented at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, including remarks by Robert Purvis.
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Elizabeth Dunbar, Papers, 1808-1936
Manuscripts1 volume
The collection consists mainly of typewritten copies of letters, testimonials, addresses, obituary notes, tributes by African Americans, bibliographical notes, mementoes, and sketches, gathered by Elizabeth Dunbar for a biography of Alcott Williams. Included are letters, 1933, addressed to Elizabeth Dunbar; paper on Morocco, the Muslim world, and related subjects.
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Mary Anna Longstreth Collection, 1876-1878
Manuscripts3 volumes
A collection of biographical information gathered by Mary Anna Longstreth, Philadelphia educator, about Emma Dean Walker Armstrong, wife of Samuel Chapman Armstrong, founder of the Hampton (Va.) Normal and Agricultural Institute. The materials are assembled in letter form for the Armstrong children, Louise and Edith, and contain considerable information about the early history of the institute and the educational philosophy of its founder. Longstreth has included, as well, many letters from Emma Dean Walker, Armstrong's female acquaintances, testifying to her exemplary character. Three of the original four volumes survive in the collection.
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Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Philadelphia, PA, Records, 1822-1972
Microforms25 reels
Microfilm was given to HSP in 1973 by Mother Bethel Church and encompasses a portion of the original materials located at Mother Bethel. Materials include Church registers, minutes, and financial materials for the Board of Trustees and Managers, religious activities engaged in by church membership, various Bible editions, and copies of the Christian Recorder , the journal of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
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Warley Bascom Sons, Business Records, 1881 (1889-1923), 1970
ManuscriptsApproximately 75 items and 16 volumes
Warley Bascom Sons, specializing in general upholstering, interior decorations, and cabinet work, became one of the oldest and longest lived businesses owned and run by blacks in Philadelphia. Mattress-maker Warley Bascom, a freeman from Charleston, SC, began the business ca. 1861; it continued under family management until 1974, managed successively by Warley Bascom, Jr., his wife, Josephine Davis Bascom, and their children William, Edgar and Ethel Bascom Serjeant. There are in addition a few miscellaneous family papers, including estate records.
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LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA
Mailing Address
Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia PA 19107
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-546-2465
Fax: 215-546-5167
Web Address: www.voicenet.com/~~lcp3
Contact Person(s)
Name: Phil Lapsansky
Title: Chief of Reference/Curator, Afro-Americana Collection
E-mail: Refdept@worldyux.net
Access
Open to Public
Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-4:45pm
General Description
The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library with collections documenting every aspect of the history and background of American culture from the colonial period to the end of the 19th century. The Library’s holdings number approximately a half a million printed volumes in a wide variety of formats: 75, 000 graphics; 160,000 manuscripts; a small distinguished collection of early American art and artifacts. The collection is especially strong in African Americana; American science, technology, banking and business, architecture, agriculture, natural history, education, philanthropy, and medicine; German-Americana; pamphlets of the American Revolution, Federal and Jacksonian Periods, and the Civil War; American Judaica; Philadelphia area history, the history of printing, book collecting, and reading; the history of woman, domestic economy, and family life; and printmaking, mapmaking, and photography in Philadelphia. In addition, the Library has extensive holdings of American novels, plays, poems, essays, and orations up to 1860 and complementary collections of British and Continental 18th and 19th century literature, popular non-fiction, and periodicals. In addition to the collections included in this directory, the Library Company has a wealth of materials on African Americans in collections which are not totally devoted to the subject of African Americans.
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Stephen Cogdill/Sanders-Venning Collection, 1770s-1920s
ManuscriptsThe collection consists of papers of South Carolina slave families that settled as free African Americans in Philadelphia prior to the Civil War.
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LINCOLN UNIVERSITY. LANGSTON HUGHES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Mailing Address
Langston Hughes Memorial Library
Lincoln University
Lincoln University PA 19352
Telecommunications
Phone: 610-932-8300 EXT. 3261
Fax: 610-932-1206
Contact Person(s)
Name: Emery Wimbish, Jr.
Title: Librarian
Name: Khalil Mahmud
Title: Archivist
Access
Open to Public by Appointment Only
Hours
Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm
General Description
Lincoln University was established in 1854 and is the first institution established to provide higher education in the arts and sciences for African Americans. In addition to various materials on the African American experience, the Library maintains the Africana Collections which contain 8,297 volumes dealing with the continent of Africa.
Langston Hughes Collection
4,000 volumesCollection consists of books, pamphlets, and magazines that made up the personal library of Langston Hughes which he donated to his alma mater, Lincoln University.
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Special Negro Collection (S. N. C.)
17,448 volumesCollection contains books, dissertations and periodicals dealing with the African American experience.
Lincolniana Collection
2,237 volumesCollections consists of correspondence, books, pamphlets, photographs by Lincoln alumni and other individuals with a special association with Lincoln University.
Rare Book Collection
1,163 volumesThe collection consists of rare monographs, pamphlets, almanacs, bibles, and first edition books detailing various aspects of African American history.
Therman B. O'Daniel Collection
3,536 volumesPersonal book collection of American literature which was donated by Therman B. O'Daniel to his alma mater, Lincoln University. Collection contains numerous books by and about noted African American writers, as well as other topics dealing with the African American experience.
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Lincoln University Archives, 1853-Present
Manuscripts, Theses387 Linear Feet
Collection includes papers of University Presidents, minutes of the Board of Trustees and Lincoln faculty, records from various University departments, legal documents, yearbooks, catalogs, newspapers, brochures, and other historical items. The collection also contains master theses written to fulfill the thesis requirement for the Masters of Human Services Program at Lincoln University.
Photograph Collection, 1884-Present/bulk dates 1925-Present
13 Linear FeetPhotographic Materials
Photographs depict faculty and staff, alumni and students, campus buildings, events, athletic teams, commencements, graduating classes and theatrical productions. Portraits of prominent alumni include Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Kwame Nkrumah. Honorary graduates such as Marian Anderson, Constance E. Clayton, Katherine Dunham, Albert Einstein, Earl Warren, Cicely Tyson, etc. are also included. Students are generally shown participating in campus events like lectures, recitals, plays, and sports. Groups of African students are depicted. Albums showing the construction of campus buildings and portraits of the trustees of the university are included. A small portrait collection of prominent African Americans and film and theater stars includes Malcolm X and jazz musician Benny Carter.
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MEDICAL MISSION SISTERS. ARCHIVES.
Mailing Address
Archives
Medical Mission Sisters
8400 Pine Road
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Telecommunications
Phone: 215-742-6100
Fax: 215-342-3948
Contact Person(s)
Name: Stephanie Morris
Access
Open to Public by Appointment Only
Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm By Appointment Only
General Description
The Archives of the Medical Mission Sisters document their mission, charism, and ministries as a healing presence around the world. Founded in 1925 by Dr. Anna Dengel, these Catholic women religious established clinics, hospitals, and schools of nurse-midwifery around the world. As they trained the local professionals, they turned the hospitals over to local authorities. Between 1927 and 1970 they published the Medical Missionary Magazine ; this remains the best source of historical information about the community.
Catholic Colored Clinic, Atlanta, GA, Records and Photographs, 1944-1973
RG 15 (Foundations) and RG 10 (Photographs)Photographic Materials, News Clippings,Periodicals
3.5 Linear Feet
The Medical Mission Sisters were invited to Atlanta, GA, to work in the Catholic
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Colored Clinic. They operated the clinic and conducted classes for pregnant women, visited shut-ins, and performed public health work. In time, the clinic was replaced by the newly-built Holy Family Hospital and the Medical Mission Sisters left the city. Records that are open to qualified researchers include newspaper clippings, articles such as those in Medical Missionary Magazine (published by MMS), and other printed materials. Photographs, mostly black and white, depict Sisters doing public health work with African Americans.
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ODUNDE, INC.
Mailing Address
ODUNDE, Inc.
2308 Grays Ferry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19142
Telecommunications
Phone: (215)732-8508
Fax: (215)732-8508
Contact Person(s)
Name: Oshunbumi Fernandez
Title: Executive Director
Access
Open to Public by Appointment Only
General Description
ODUNDE, Inc. is an outgrowth of the ODUNDE American Festival that is based on the Nigerian ceremony of worship to Oshun, the Goddess of the river that takes place in Oshogbo, Nigeria. The organization was founded in 1975 by community activists Lois Fernandez and Ruth Arthur. The festival’s purpose is to bring together the neighborhood residents around a cultural event that would educate the African American community, and perpetuate the cultural roots of their African origins. The festival also serves to expose this cultural heritage to the broader Philadelphia community.
ODUNDE Collection, 1956-1996
Accession 1Photographic Materials, News Clippings, Memorabilia, Manuscripts, Films/Videotapes
30 Cubic Feet
The collection contains a small group of administrative files documenting the activities of the ODUNDE Board of Directors, grant information, general correspondence, financial records and office files; Personal files of Lois Fernandez detailing her work
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with ODUNDE and other organizations; Special projects sponsored by or participated in by the organization including various conferences, exhibitions, summer camps, workshops and the “From Hucklebuck to Hip Hop” Dance project. The bulk of the Collection pertains to the Annual ODUNDE Festival and includes photographs, audio tapes, posters, publications, video tapes, newsclippings, and memorabilia. Access to some files is restricted.
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