African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph collection, 1869-2008

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Summary

Creators:
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Abstract:
The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 2,329 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations.
Extent:
21.25 linear feet (30 boxes + 2 oversized boxes + 2 oversized drawers)
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph collection, MS 189, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 2,329 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations.

Biographical / historical:

The African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) was organized on July 2, 1965 in the home of Marcella Ford as the East Bay Negro Historical Society (EBNHS). In attendance at the first meeting were the seven founding members of the society: Marcella Ford, Jesse Ford, Eugene Lasartemay, Ruth Lasartemay, E. Harold Mason, Morrie Turner, and Madison Harvey Jr. The society’s mission was to “collect, preserve, record, and disseminate information related to the history, culture and experience, of persons of Black American and African descent, especially those in the East Bay, the State of California and throughout the West.” The society consisted of members, officers, and an executive board and included library, museum, publications and publicity, program, membership, finance, and nomination committees which met on the third Saturday of every month. Initially, the society operated as a unit of the Oakland Unified School District Volunteer Program, with members giving lectures on black history to students that would visit the library and museum. In 1970, the society moved to a storefront located at 3651 Grove Street in Oakland, California and remained there for six years before moving to 4519 Grove St., where it established a museum and library. In 1982, the society was invited into the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Public Library, making it the first Oakland library branch with a collection focused on African American history and culture. Following the appointment of Dr. Lawrence Crouchett as its executive director in 1988, the society changed its name to the Northern California Center for Afro-American History & Life (NCCAAHL). In 1994, the City of Oakland and the NCCAAHL merged to create the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO).

Processing information:

Collection was processed by Sean Heyliger, 2015. Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on September 2, 2016 to incorporate material in Accession 2016-058. Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on October 6, 2016 to incorporate material in Accession 2016-081, 2016-082, and 2016-083.Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on October 7, 2017 to incorporate material in Accession 2017-041.Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on December 27, 2017 to incorporate material in Accession 2017-095.Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on January 13, 2018 to incorporate material in Accession 2018-004 and 2018-005.Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on April 28, 2018 to incorporate material in Accession 2018-011.Finding aid updated by Sean Heyliger on November 17, 2018 to incorporate material in Accession 2018-030.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 28 series by subject. Series include: Access to Life exhibit, Allensworth, Architecture, Assorted, Civic affairs, Civil rights, Cowboys and ranchers, Depression era, Education, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Home life, Leisure, Media, Military, Miscellaneous, Occupations, Organizations, Panoramas, Pioneers, Politics, Portraits, Railroads, Religion, Sports, Stereoscope slides, Street scenes, World War II.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.

Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating.

Terms of access:

Permission to publish from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.

Preferred citation:

African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph collection, MS 189, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.

Location of this collection:
659 14th Street
Oakland, CA 94612, US
Contact:
(510) 637-0198
aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org
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