Scope and Contents

The collection documents African American people, their history, and culture in American Society. Most of the materials are greeting cards and postcards. These materials contain both positive and negative images of African Americans with a few items illustrating how white society portrayed them for mainstream culture. Most of the materials, however, are intended for the African American consumer market and present black people and their customs in a more favorable light. Many of the images are of people that were considered the leaders of the black community including political, religious, and cultural figures. It is also notable for the holidays and events in African American history that are documented. There are also hand-held fans used as advertisements on one side and images of black Americans on the other side. In addition, there is a high school diploma, political literature, and sheet music. The bulk of the material was created after 1960 with images of events and people dating from the turn of the 20th century.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series.

Biographical / Historical

Susie Paige, a Philadelphia bookseller, collected the materials over three decades.

Related Materials

Program in African American Culture NMAH.AC0408

African American Portrait Tintypes NMAH.AC0515

African American Snapshots NMAH.AC0732

African American Cosmetic and Food Label Collection NMAH.AC0480

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, subject Afro-Americana NMAH.AC0060

African American Family Photograph Collection NMAH.AC1127

Scurlock Studio Records NMAH.AC0618

David Hoffman/Boaz Postcard Collection NMAH.AC0281