A Pathfinder to Harlem: 1920-1940
This pathfinder is intended for individuals seeking a general introduction to the Harlem Renaissance Era, Twentieth Century African-American History, or American history between World War I and World War 2. My concentration is on place and time, Harlem 1920-1940, rather than on related biographies of the Harlem Renaissance Era. However, those individuals whose contributions greatly affected this Era are included. Additionally, the last section of this pathfinder contains a partial list of related names which may be explored for future research about the noteables of the era.

The HARLEM RENAISSANCE can be described as a unique period of cultural awakening in the history of African-Americans. Typically the term Harlem Renaissance is used to describe the artistic boom which occurred in Harlem, New York during the 1920's & 30's. A study of Harlem during this time period also reflects a broader spectrum of social and political change which occurred concurrently during this era. For the first time in history, the spotlight of popular interest was shone on African-Americans. The sources in this pathfinder suggest that as a result, Black Americans founded a Mecca and a forum from which to speak, Black Nationalism was born and the JAZZ Age flourished. Harlem was a place where music, art, literature and the struggle for racial identity converged. Exploring this phenomenal era, will assist readers in their understanding of the contributions and history of African-American people.

What occurred in Harlem during this time period, did much to effect radical change in the socio-cultural framework of the United States, as would the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Liberation Movement in later decades. Harlem 1920-1930.

Scope Note: Included are basic sources of information about the African- American cultural rennaissance which occurred in Harlem, New York in the1920 and 1930. Topics range from the specific literary Harlem Renaissance Era to a more general view of the social and political activities in Harlem concurrent with the literary Harlem Renaissance.

For a historical map of Harlem as it appeared in 1924:

Asante, Molefi. The Historical and Cultural Atlas of African Americans.
New York: Macmillan, 1991. Page 113.

Some Related (researchable) Terms:

Amsterdam News: (Afro-American, Harlem newspaper)
Cotton Club, The: (major Harlem nightclub)
Sugar Hill: (a specific locale within Harlem)
Talented Tenth: (term coined by W.E.B. DuBois)
Villa Lewaro: (A'Lelia Walkers Mansion, Harlem Renaissance writers salon)
Universal Negro Improvement League (the organization founded by Marcus Garvey)

For a comprehensive introduction to Harlem 1920-1940:

Lewis, David Levering. When Harlem Was in Vogue.
New York: Alfred A Knopf,1981.

For Shelf Browsing (LC):

PS 153
E 185

Dictionaries and Atlases:

Asante, Molefi. The Historical and Cultural Atlas of African Americans.
New York: Macmillan, 1991.

Kellner, Bruce, ed. The Harlem Renaissance: A historical Dictionary for the Era.
Conneticut: Greenwood Press, 1984.

Bibliographies:

Perry, Margaret. The Harlem Renaissance: an annotated Bibliography and commentary.
New York: Garland Publ.,1982.
Olsson, Martin. A Selected Bibliography of Black Literature: The Harlem Renaissance.
England: University of Exeter, American Arts Documentation, 1973.

Texts:

Cronon, Edmund David. Black Moses: The Story of Marcus Garvey and The Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1969.
Fabre, Michael. From Harlem To Paris: Black American Writers in France 1840-1980.
Chicago: University of ILLinois Press, 1991.
Kramer, Victor A. ed. The Harlem Renaissance Re-Examined.
New York: AMS, 1987.
Kellner, Bruce. Carl Van Vetchen and the Irreverent Decades.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1968.
Kellner, Bruce. ed. "Keep A-inchin' Along" Selected Writings of Carl Van Vetchen Contributions in Afro-American Studies #45.
Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 1979.
Higgins, Nathan Irvin. Harlem Renaissance.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Martin, Tony, ed. African Fundamentalism: a literary and cultural anthology of Garvey's Harlem Renaissance.
Massachusettes: Majority Press,1991.
McGhee, Reginald. The World Of James Van Der Zee: a visual record of black Americans.
New York: Grave Press Inc. 1969.
McKay, Claude. Harlem: Negro Metropolis.
New York: E.P. Dutton. 1940.
Ottley, Roi. New World A-Coming.
New York: Arno Press, 1968.
Tyler, Bruce M. From Harlem to Hollywood: The Struggle for Racial and Cultural Democracy 1920-1943.
New York: Garland Publishing, 1992.
Weisbrot, Robert. Father Divine and the Struggle for Racial Equality.
Urbana: University of Illionois Press,1983.
Wintz, Cary D. Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance.
Texas: Rice University Press,1988.

Related Texts:

De Cook, Liliane and McGhee, Reginald. James Van Der Zee.
New York: Morgan and Morgan, 1973.
Floyd Jr., Samuel A., ed. Black Music in the Harlem Renaissance: a Collection of Essays.
New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
Fox, Ted. Showtime at The Apollo.
New York: Holt, Rhineheart and Winston, 1983.
Hadlock, Richard. Jazz Masters of the Twenties.
New York: Macmillan,1965.
Jubilee, Vincent. Philadelphia's Afro-American Literary Circle and the Harlem Renaissance.
Michigan: Dissertation Abstracts International, 1980.
Martin, Tony. Literary Garveyism: Garvey, black arts, and the Harlem Renaissance.
Massachusettes: Majority Press,1983.
Roses, Lorraine Elena. Harlem Renaissance and beyond: literary biographies of 100 black women writers 1900-1945.
Massachusettes: G.K. Hall,1990.
Singh, Amritjit, William S. Shiver, and Stanley Brodwin. The Harlem Renaissance Re-evaluations.
New York: Garland Publ., 1989.
The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. Harlem Renaissance Art of Black America.
NewYork: Harry N. Abrams Inc.,1987.
Anderson, Jervis. This Was Harlem 1900-1950.
New York: Farrar, Straus Giroux, 1982.
Bogle, Donald. Brown Sugar: Eighty Years of American Black Female Superstars.
New York: Harmony Books, 1980.
Davis, Arthur P. From the Dark Tower: Afro American Writers 1900-1960.
Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press,1981.
Haskins, James. Black Dance in America: A History Through It's People.
New York: HarperTrophy,1990.
Haskins, Jim. The Cotton Club: a pictorial and social history of the most famous symbol of the jazz era.
New York: Random House, 1977.
Hughes, Langston and Meltzer, Milton. Black Magic: a pictorial history of the African American in the performing Arts.
New York: Da Capo Press Inc.,1967.
Null, Gary. Black Hollywood: The Black Performer in motion pictures.
New Jersey: The Citadel Press,1975.

Related Photography:

Haskins, Jim. James Van Der Zee: the picture takin man.
New York: Dodd, Mead and Company,1979.
Hughes, Langston. A Pictorial History of the Negro in America.
New York: Crown Publishers,1968.
Van Vetchen, Carl. Portraits, the Photography of Carl Van Vetchen.
Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill,1978.
Van Vetchen, Carl.The Dance Photography of Carl Van Vetchen.
New York: Schirmer Books,1981.

Audiovisual Materials:

The Negro-American Citizen: Back To Africa Movement,
(S. L. : Classroom World Productions, between 1970 and 1977), sound cassette.
Van Der Zee, James. Uncommon Images: The Harlem of James Van Der Zee.
Directed by Evelyn Darron.
Filmakers Library. 22 min. 1977. Motion Picture.

Journal Articles:

American Film: Journal of Film and Television Arts.
"A Memory of Harlem," 4, no. 2 (November 1978)
National Geographic
"To Live in Harlem," 151, no.2 (February 1977)
Essence Magazine
"A Celebration of Black Women," 16, no. 1 (May 1985)

Related Journal Articles:

Peter A. Bailey, "The Cotton Club Girls,"
Ebony 41 (December 1985) 90-95.
Ann Banks, "The Unknown Harlem--elegant architecture, glorious cuisine--the many surprises of uptown Manhattan,"
Vogue 176 (April1986): 248-249.
Peter Blauner, "Sugar Hill: A citadel of style and echoes of an earlier America,"
New York 20 (May 4 1987): 90-2.
Pamela Bloom, "Black and Tan Fantasy (Cotton Club Remembered),"
High Fidelity (Musical American edition) 35 (Feb 1985) 64.
"Harlem in the Jazz Age (A new exhibition explores the art of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's),"
The New York Time Magazine (Feb 8,1987): 32-33.
Leonard Diepeveen, "Folktales in the Harlem Renaissance,"
American Literature: A Journal of Literary History, Criticism and Bibliography," 58 no. 1 (Mar.1986) 64-81.
Gregory Ironman Tate, Harlem When it Sizzled,"
Village Voice: Literary Supplement (December 1982) 11-15.

This partial list of related (some familiar) names may be explored for future research about the notables of this era. Biographies have been written for most of these people.Armstrong, Louis: Musician, Singer.

Baker, Josephine: Singer, Actress, Activist
Basie, Count: Musician
Bontemps, Arna: Writer
Brown, Sterling: Poet
Cullen, Countee: Writer
Daddy Grace: Preacher
Dubois W.E.B.: Teacher, Spokesman
Duke Ellington: Composer, Musician
Ellison, Ralph: Writer
Father Divine: Preacher, Activist
Garvey, Marcus: Activist
Henderson, Fletcher: Musician
Horne, Lena : Singer, Actress
Hughes, Langston : Writer, Poet
Hurston, Zora Neale: Writer
Johnson, Jack: Boxer
Johnson, James Weldon: Writer
Larsen, Nella: Writer
Locke, Alain: Writer
Louis, Joe: Boxer
McKay, Claude: Writer
Smith, Bessie: Singer
Robeson, Paul: Actor, Activist
Robinson, Bill (Bojangles): Dancer
Thurman, Wallace: Writer
Toomer, Gene: Writer
Van Der Zee, James: Photographer
Van Vetchen, Carl: Photographer, Writer
Walker, A'Lelia: Patron
Walker, Madame C.J.: Businesswoman
Waters, Ethel: Singer, Actress#