Research Catalog

Title

Canada Lee photograph collection [graphic].

Author

Lee, Canada

Publication

[190?]-[195-]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Antonelli, Steven
• Benton, S. H.
• Blechman, Marcus
• Bruno, Anthony J., 1894-1976
• Bryant, I.
• Campbell, James
• Colwell, Larry
• Fehl, Fred
• Garber, Morris
• Hauser, Al.
• Henle, Fritz, 1909-1993
• Jackson, Ray Lee
• Kanarian, Charles
• Kaye, Ethel
• MacAulay, Arthur
• Merrill, Helen
• Oppenheimer, Carl
• Parks, Gorden
• Pries, Ethel
• Schick, Jules
• Shain, Mac A.
• Sherman, Editta
• Smith, Morgan, 1910-1993
• Steiner, A.
• Tucker, Richard
• Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964
• Apeda Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• Arsene Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• Bloom (Chicago, Ill.)
• Chrisholm (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
• Gordon Conner Studio (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Graphic House (New York, N.Y.)
• J. E. Cyrus Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• M. Smith (New York, N.Y.)
• Our World Photos (New York, N.Y.)
• Parker Studios (New York, N.Y.)
• Pollard (New York, N.Y)
• Speed Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Found In

p1tc Lee, Canada. Canada Lee papers, 1940-1973 (CStRLIN)NYPW088000017-A

Donor/Sponsor

Schomburg NEH Blacks on Stage: African-American Theater Arts Collections Project.

Alternative Title

• Anna Lucasta.
• Body and Soul.
• Cry, the beloved country.
• Destination freedom.
• The Duchess of Malfi.
• George Washington Carver.
• Let Freedom Ring.
• Lost boundaries.
• Lifeboat.
• MacBeth.
• Native son.
• Nine September.
• Othello, the Moor of Venice.
• Set my people free.
• Stop the record.
• The tempest.

Subject

• Lee, Canada
• Anderson, Thomas
• Barthé, Richmond, 1901-1989
• Blanche, Wilbert
• Carey, Archibald J. (Archibald James), 1908-1981
• Clark, Howard
• Conn, Billy, 1917-
• Dodson, Owen, 1914-1983
• Granger, Lester B. (Lester Blackwell), 1886-1976
• Greaves, William
• Hammerstein, Oscar, II, 1895-1960
• Harriman, Florence Jaffay Hurst, 1870-
• Hill, Juanita
• Honora, Louis
• Horne, Lena
• Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967
• Konoco, Lou
• Labigne, Thomas
• LeNoire, Rosetta, 1911-2002
• Massey, Ilona, 1910-1974
• Meadows, Audrey
• Michael, Lionel
• Moss, Arnold, 1910-1989
• Mukei, Marido
• Pearson, Frances Lee, 1919-
• Persadh, Bobby Harry
• Perez, Augustin
• Rivers, Francis E., (Francis Ellis), 1893-1975
• Robson, Flora, 1902-1984
• Tewba, Albertina
• Timmons, Rodester
• Warren, Lloyd
• Wilkie, H. Francis
• Negro Theatre Project
• WPA Federal Theatre
• African American actors
• African American motion picture actors and actresses
• African Americans in the performing arts
• African American boxers
• Boxers (Sports)
• Apartheid > South Africa

Genre/Form

• Publicity photographs – 1960-1989.
• Portrait photographs – 1960-1989.
• Group portraits – 1960-1989.
• Gelatin silver prints – 1900-1959.
• Contact sheets – 1900-1959.
• Gelatin silver film negatives – 1900-1959.
• Inscriptions – 1900-1959.
• Autographs – 1900-1959.

Note

• Title devised by cataloger.
• Some photographs bear photographer's or photography studio's handstamp on verso; some photographs bear photographer's or photography studio's blind stamp on recto. Some items are signed or hand printed on the recto. Some images have captions on recto and/or verso. Some photographs are inscribed. Some items are matted, others are mounted. Some images have cropping marks; some items are duplicates.
• Collection includes work by Fritz Henle, Ethel Pries, Carl Van Vechten and others.

Biography (note)

• Canada Lee was a renowned stage and screen actor whose human right activities caused him to be blacklisted in the early 1950s. Born Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata in New York City in 1907, Lee was a violinist, racehorse jockey, and bandleader, as well as a title-winning boxer before turning to acting. He was first associated with the WPA Negro Theatre Project where he appeared as Banquo in "MacBeth" (1936). Lee later rose to stardom, achieving tremondous success on Broadway in the role of Bigger Thomas in Orson Welles' production of "Native Son" (1940-41) and won Broadway's highest acting honor at the time, the Critic's Award, for best performance of 1941. Lee later went to Hollywood to appear in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film "Lifeboat." Returning to the New York stage, Lee appeared in "Anna Lucasta" (1944-45), "The Tempest" (1945) and "Set My People Free" (1948). Lee also narrated radio broadcasts including "New World A-Coming." In 1946, Lee became possibly the first African-American actor to appear on a Broadway stage in a white role with his performance, in white makeup, in "The Duchess of Malfi."
• Lee used his celebrity status in the political arena, lobbying Congress on human rights issues. This later was turned against him when he was labeled a communist during the McCarthy era and was subsequently blacklisted by the entertainment industry. Unable to find work in the United States, Lee went to South Africa to make "Cry, The Beloved Country." Though the movie, which premiered in the United States in January 1952, enjoyed tremendous success, Lee was still blacklisted and unable to find work in the United States. In 1952, Lee began work on an Italian movie production, "Othello, the Moor of Venice," which was left unfinished when he died of complications from heart disease on May 9, 1952 in New York City.

Linking Entry (note)

• Forms part of the Canada Lee Papers, 1940-1973.

Local note

• Sc MG 471

Call Number

Sc Photo Canada Lee Collection

OCLC

NYPG99-F1013

Author

Lee, Canada.

Title

Canada Lee photograph collection [graphic].

Imprint

[190?]-[195-]

Description

1215 items (7.5 lin. ft., 8 boxes)

31 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 36 x 28 cm. and smaller.

307 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller.

408 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 19 x 22 cm. and smaller.

450 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 12 x 13 cm. and smaller.

9 photographic postcards : silver gelatin, b&w ; 14 x 9 cm. and smaller.

8 negatives : silver gelatin, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller.

2 contact sheets : silver gelatin, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller.

Organized into three series: I. Personal (190?-195?), II. Professional Activities (192?-195-), and III. Civic Activities (194?-195?)

Summary

The Canada Lee Photograph Collection documents portions of actor Canada Lee's personal life, professional career and civic activities. The collection consists of portraits of Lee, family, friends and colleagues; candid shots documenting some of his overseas travels; sparse documentation of his early boxing career; and publicity and production stills, portrait studies, and candid shots documenting Lee's stage, film, radio and television performances. The collection contains only a few pictures of Lee's family and no images of his other pursuits as a violinist, racehorse jockey, and bandleader. Many photographs are unidentified.

The Personal Photographs series (190?-195?), comprising more than one-half of the collection, contains photographs of Lee, family members, friends and/or colleagues, as well as snapshots probably taken by Lee during his personal travels. Individual and group photographs of Lee and his family include a baby picture of Lee; a portrait of Lee by Carl Van Vechten; candid shots of Lee's mother, Lydia (Whaley) Canegata, and aunt, Syl Hoist; and studio portraits of Lee's second wife, Frances Lee Pearson. Also included are a series of photographs inscribed to Lee from friends and/or colleagues including Thomas Anderson, United Nations delegate Archibald J. Carey, lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, actresses Rosetta LeNoire and Bishop H. Francis Wilkie. Other images depict Lee with Judge Francis E. Rivers and others at a costume party; National Urban League official Lester Granger at a party in Lee's honor; artist Richmond Barthé posing with his bust of Lee; and actress Lena Horne visiting with the cast of the motion picture "Lifeboat."

The majority of the overseas images are of South Africa, the setting for the film "Cry, The Beloved Country" and includes professional photographs and small candid shots of Lee, his associates, friends and fans, and views that depict the country's conditions under Apartheid. Also included are photographic postcards of Zulu, Fingo, and other unidentified young women, some with Lee's handwritten notations. Many of the informal candid shots in the series were probably photographed by Lee during filming, possibly during vacations, and include other locations such as Cannes and Paris, France; Florence and Rome, Italy (1951); and London, England (1951)

The Professional Activities (192?-195-) series documents Lee's boxing and acting careers. Lee's boxing endeavors spanned from approximately 1925 through 1933 and are documented by portraits of Lee in boxing shorts and gloves, and inscribed portraits to Lee from fellow prizefighters. Also included is a group portrait of Lee posed with other young boxers and their trainer captioned "Boxing Junior National Championship, Philadelphia Pa., March 1926." The series contains an inscribed photograph of world light-heavyweight champion Billy Conn.

Lee's thespian pursuits extended from the early 1930s until his death in 1952, and are reflected in many portraits of Lee at various ages including a photograph of a painting by Anne Beadenkopf (1944). Photographs documenting Lee's theatrical credits include a Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Theatre production of "Macbeth" (1936); "Native Son" (1941-42), which includes portrait studies of Lee in the character of Bigger Thomas by both Fritz Henle and Carl Van Vechten; "Anna Lucasta" (1944-45) with Hilda Simms; "The Tempest" (1945) with Arnold Moss and Vera Zorina; "The Duchess of Malfi" (1946) which depicts Lee being made up in white makeup; and "Set My People Free" (1948) with Juano Hernandez and Mildred Smith. Documentation of Lee's movie roles includes stills from: "Lifeboat" (1944), "Body and Soul" (1947), "Lost Boundaries" (1949), and "Cry, The Beloved Country" (1952). Stills from "Cry, The Beloved Country" includes images of cast members Charles Carson, Michael Goodliffe, Lionel Ngakane, Sidney Poitier and Alberta Tweba. Also included is a view of Lee in costume for "Othello, the Moor of Venice" (1952), which was uncompleted due to his death.

Lee's work in radio and television is depicted by publicity photographs, and individual and group portraits, and includes photographs of Lee narrating radio programs "Nine September" (1946) and "Let Freedom Ring" (1947). Lee's television performances in "George Washington Carver" on NBC and "Stop the Record" (1950) are also documented in this series.

The Civic Activities (194?-195?) series depicts Lee's involvement at different events and with various causes including the American Civil Liberties Union; the American Theatre Wing Service Women's Tea Dances; the Bond Drive for the State of Israel (1952); the Brotherhood Week Ceremonies (1952); the Christmas Seal Drive (1947); the C.I.O.-Post World War II voter registration drive; the Greater New York Fund; the Harlem Y.M.C.A.; the Harlem Defense Center; the Jewish War Veterans; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; the United Seamen's Service; and at a World War II bond rally. Lee is pictured with other notables including actresses Juanita Hall, Audrey Meadows, and Hilda Simms, playwright Owen Dodson, Norwegian Ambassador Florence Harriman, author Langston Hughes and Judge Francis E. Rivers.

Biography

Canada Lee was a renowned stage and screen actor whose human right activities caused him to be blacklisted in the early 1950s. Born Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata in New York City in 1907, Lee was a violinist, racehorse jockey, and bandleader, as well as a title-winning boxer before turning to acting. He was first associated with the WPA Negro Theatre Project where he appeared as Banquo in "MacBeth" (1936). Lee later rose to stardom, achieving tremondous success on Broadway in the role of Bigger Thomas in Orson Welles' production of "Native Son" (1940-41) and won Broadway's highest acting honor at the time, the Critic's Award, for best performance of 1941. Lee later went to Hollywood to appear in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film "Lifeboat." Returning to the New York stage, Lee appeared in "Anna Lucasta" (1944-45), "The Tempest" (1945) and "Set My People Free" (1948). Lee also narrated radio broadcasts including "New World A-Coming." In 1946, Lee became possibly the first African-American actor to appear on a Broadway stage in a white role with his performance, in white makeup, in "The Duchess of Malfi."

Lee used his celebrity status in the political arena, lobbying Congress on human rights issues. This later was turned against him when he was labeled a communist during the McCarthy era and was subsequently blacklisted by the entertainment industry. Unable to find work in the United States, Lee went to South Africa to make "Cry, The Beloved Country." Though the movie, which premiered in the United States in January 1952, enjoyed tremendous success, Lee was still blacklisted and unable to find work in the United States. In 1952, Lee began work on an Italian movie production, "Othello, the Moor of Venice," which was left unfinished when he died of complications from heart disease on May 9, 1952 in New York City.

Linking Entry

Forms part of the Canada Lee Papers, 1940-1973.

Local Note

Sc MG 471

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Request Appointment

Added Author

Antonelli, Steven. Photographer

Benton, S. H. Photographer

Blechman, Marcus. Photographer

Bruno, Anthony J., 1894-1976, Photographer

Bryant, I. Photographer

Campbell, James. Photographer

Colwell, Larry. Photographer

Fehl, Fred. Photographer

Garber, Morris. Photographer

Hauser, Al. Photographer

Henle, Fritz, 1909-1993. Photographer

Jackson, Ray Lee. Photographer

Kanarian, Charles. Photographer

Kaye, Ethel. Photographer

MacAulay, Arthur. Photographer

Merrill, Helen. Photographer

Oppenheimer, Carl. Photographer

Parks, Gorden. Photographer

Pries, Ethel. Photographer

Schick, Jules. Photographer

Shain, Mac A. Photographer

Sherman, Editta. Photographer

Smith, Morgan, 1910-1993. Photographer

Steiner, A. Photographer

Tucker, Richard. Photographer

Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964. Photographer

Apeda Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Arsene Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Bloom (Chicago, Ill.)

Chrisholm (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Gordon Conner Studio (Cleveland, Ohio)

Graphic House (New York, N.Y.)

J. E. Cyrus Studio (New York, N.Y.)

M. Smith (New York, N.Y.)

Our World Photos (New York, N.Y.)

Parker Studios (New York, N.Y.)

Pollard (New York, N.Y)

Speed Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Added Title

Anna Lucasta.

Body and Soul.

Cry, the beloved country.

Destination freedom.

The Duchess of Malfi.

George Washington Carver.

Let Freedom Ring.

Lost boundaries.

Lifeboat.

MacBeth.

Native son.

Nine September.

Othello, the Moor of Venice.

Set my people free.

Stop the record.

The tempest.

Found In:

p1tc Lee, Canada. Canada Lee papers, 1940-1973 (CStRLIN)NYPW088000017-A

Research Call Number

Sc Photo Canada Lee Collection