Research Catalog

Helen Armstead-Johnson photograph collection : main record

Title: Helen Armstead-Johnson photograph collection : main record [graphic].
Author: Johnson, Helen A.
Publication: [189-?]-[199-]

Available Online

NYPL Digital Collections

Details

Additional Authors

Donor/Sponsor

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

Subject

Genre/Form

Portrait photographs – 1890-1999.
Group portraits – 1890-1999.
Publicity photographs – 1890-1999.
Postcards – 1890-1999.
Gelatin silver prints – 1890-1999.
Dye coupler prints – 1950-1999.
Photomechanical prints – 1910-1999.
Ephemera – 1890-1999.
Keys (Legends)
Contact sheets – 1950-1999.
Erotica – 1920-1939.
Inscriptions – 1890-1999.
Autographs – 1890-1999.
Gelatin silver film negatives – 1950-1999.
Slides – 1960-1999.

Note

Title devised by cataloger.
Some photographs have photographer's or photography studio's handstamp on verso and/or blind stamp on recto; some images have photographer's signature or name printed on recto. Some photographs bear handwritten notations, or typewritten or printed captions on verso; some items have handwritten or printed captions on recto; some items are autographed or inscribed. Some publicity portraits have resumes attached. Some items are either mounted, matted, or form parts of scrapbooks. Some items are duplicates. Some photographs are damaged and/or deteriorating.
Collection contains work by Bert Andrews, Maurice Seymour, Woodard's Studio, Elcha, Friedman-Abeles Photographers, and White Studio, among others.

Terms of Use (note)

Some items may be under copyright; permission of the copyright holder is required for duplication.

Source (note)

Helen Armstead-Johnson;

Biography (note)

The Helen Armstead-Johnson photograph collection was assembled by English professor Helen Armstead-Johnson, beginning in the 1960s, during the course of her research into the contributions of African-Americans to the American stage. The collection consists of photographs, prints, postcards and transparencies that document African-American entertainers in various areas of the performing arts. In 1974 Johnson established the Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research for the purpose of further collecting as well as preserving, documenting and interpreting the contributions of African-Americans to the performing arts. The entire collection, consisting of several thousand photographs, posters, letters, scrapbooks, costumes and costume designs, recordings and other memorabilia, was donated to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in December 1996.

Indexes/Finding Aids (note)

Finding aid available

Linking Entry (note)

Forms part of: Helen Armstead-Johnson Theater Collection, 1818-1994.

Local note

Sc MG 599

Call Number

Sc Photo Helen Armstead-Johnson Photograph Collection (Main Record)

OCLC

NYPG00-F335

Author

Johnson, Helen A. Collector

Title

Helen Armstead-Johnson photograph collection : main record [graphic].

Imprint

[189-?]-[199-]

Description

15,635 items (24.5 lin. ft., 15 boxes, 3 record cartons)

199 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 58 x 86 cm. and smaller.

2496 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller.

2204 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 18 x 26 cm. and smaller.

219 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ; 18 x 16 cm. and smaller.

137 photographic prints : col. ; 35 x 28 cm. and smaller.

121 photographic prints : col. ; 18 x 26 cm. and smaller.

340 ephemera ; 33 x 27 cm. and smaller.

1140 postcards : b&w, some col. ; 18 x 13 cm. and smaller.

687 postcards : b&w, some col. ; 18 x 24 cm. and smaller.

86 photomechanical prints : halftone, b&w, some col. ; 33 x 49 cm. and smaller.

61 photolithographs : halftone ; 28 x 31 cm. and smaller.

29 photographic postcards : b&w, some col. ; 16 x 20 cm. and smaller.

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

30 key sheets : silver gelatin, b&w ; 27 x 36 cm. and smaller.

12 instant camera photographs ; 12 x 10 cm. and smaller.

3 cabinet photographs : b&w ; 17 x 11 cm.

1,097 slides : col. ; 5 x 5 cm.

7 advertising cards : b&w ; 15 x 9 cm. and smaller.

2 transparencies : col. ; 13 x 10 cm.

56 negatives : b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller.

54 clippings : halftone, b&w ; 20 x 23 cm. and smaller.

29 menus ; 36 x 28 cm. and smaller.

Organized into five series: I. Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research; II. Personalities; III. Production stills; IV. Personal collections; V. Postcards.

Summary

The Helen Armstead-Johnson Photograph Collection consists of over 15,000 photographs, prints, postcards and transparencies, which document the contributions of African-Americans to the performing arts, both in the United States and abroad. The collection which dates from the nineteenth century to the 1990s documents the work of actors, dancers, musicians, singers and comedians as well as playwrights, composers, songwriters, producers, directors and choreographers. There are also a handful of images of African-American circus performers that may be found mainly in the Ulysses S. "Kid" Thompson collection and also in the files of a few of the other entertainers.

The collection consists of studio and publicity portraits of individual entertainers; motion picture, television stills and theater scenes of performances by African-Americans; personal collections of individual entertainers which were donated to the Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Black Theater Research; and a collection of over 1,000 postcards, which includes a rare group of pre-1915 postcard portraits of African-American performers, produced in Europe. The collection is divided into five series: I. Armstead-Johnson Foundation; II. Personalities; III. Production stills; IV. Personal Collections; V. Postcards. Each series is cataloged and described separately.

Terms Of Use

Some items may be under copyright; permission of the copyright holder is required for duplication.

Biography

The Helen Armstead-Johnson photograph collection was assembled by English professor Helen Armstead-Johnson, beginning in the 1960s, during the course of her research into the contributions of African-Americans to the American stage. The collection consists of photographs, prints, postcards and transparencies that document African-American entertainers in various areas of the performing arts. In 1974 Johnson established the Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research for the purpose of further collecting as well as preserving, documenting and interpreting the contributions of African-Americans to the performing arts. The entire collection, consisting of several thousand photographs, posters, letters, scrapbooks, costumes and costume designs, recordings and other memorabilia, was donated to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in December 1996.

Indexes

Finding aid available : folder level control.

Linking Entry

Forms part of: Helen Armstead-Johnson Theater Collection, 1818-1994.

Local Note

Sc MG 599

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Added Author

Andrews, Bert. Photographer

Seymour, Maurice. Photographer

Apeda Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Bell (New York, N.Y.)

Bloom (Chicago, Ill.)

Elcha (New York, N.Y.)

Friedman-Abeles (New York, N.Y.)

Nasib (New York, N.Y.)

Vandamm Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Vithana Studio.

White Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Woodard's Studio (Chicago, Ill.)

Woodard's Studio (Kansas City, Mo.)

Research Call Number

Sc Photo Helen Armstead-Johnson Photograph Collection (Main Record)

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