[Images of Black celebrities and historical figures], 1842-1960s

The collection includes photographs, clippings, and copies of drawings primarily of well-known Black artists, writers, activists, political figures, singers, actors, musicians, scholars, and other figures throughout history. Most of the images depict Black Americans who lived during the first half of the 20th century, but a small number depict people from other countries and at least one image dates to the 19th century. Nearly all of the images are black and white. The collection includes approximately 180 images mounted on paper (23 x 15 cm), with the person's name and sometimes additional biographical information on the verso or recto, as well as a folder of loose magazine and newspapers clippings, photographs, and a small number of additional mounted images of various sizes. The collection also includes a small number of images of white people who supported Black liberation in some way. Also included is a 1932 letter from the Alfred A. Knopf Publicity Department to Josephine DeWitt, regarding her request for a copy of a photograph of Langston Hughes