African American Collection

The African American Collection consists of primary and secondary sources located in the History Center’s Detre Library & Archives.

The emphasis of the African American Collection is to preserve historically significant materials written, owned, generated by or related to the history and culture of African Americans. These archives are comprised of manuscripts that include the personal papers of individuals and families, the records of organizations, institutions, businesses and agencies, and cultural memorabilia.

Items collected include:

  • Agendas, account books, autographs, and books
  • Correspondence, diaries, and journals
  • Ledgers, directories, family histories, and pamphlets
  • Newsletters and newspapers
  • Unpublished writings, sermons, and programs
  • Reports, proposals, minutes, memos
  • Letters, military documents, scrapbooks, and cultural memorabilia

Museum artifacts include:

  • Tools, furniture, textiles, art, paintings, and glassware
  • Instruments, folk creations, souvenirs, products, manufactured products, and commercial objects
  • Quilts, dolls, dresses, and jewelry
  • Clothing, religious artifacts, political campaign buttons, sports uniforms, and banners

Photographs, film, and sound include:

  • Photographic images and prints, negatives, transparencies, and slides
  • Filmstrips, posters, and digital scans
  • Film, video, audio recordings, diskettes, tape, compact disks, and other recording media

Oral histories are also accessible in the Library & Archives. The recording and transcribing of oral histories help to tell the African American story and serve to include those experiences that do not have supporting documentation or memorabilia.

Resources

Catalog Search

The Detre Library & Archives catalog is available online. Use keywords: African American, Afro-American, Negro, Negroes, Colored, Blacks, and applicable subject, title, and author to access the African American Collection.

Genealogy

Sources for family history research can be found in the Detre Library & Archives. Included are published and non-published family histories, reference text particular to black genealogy, indexes, census records, and archival collections.

Links

Collection Gallery

Gaines Funeral Home Hearse  Gaines Funeral Home was founded by George W. Gaines in Homestead, Pennsylvania in 1919 and moved to various locations in Pittsburgh until 1929 taking over the former Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in the East End of Pittsburgh. This Hearse was one of a fleet of limousines and hearses owned by Gaines from the 1940s on. It is a 1941 model Sixty Special made for commercial use and especially equipped as a funeral car. Partial Gift of Barbara and Frank Stagno. 

Teenie Harris Camera  This Conley Safety camera, owned by Charles “Teenie” Harris, was used for both indoor and outdoor photography. Harris may have used this camera extensively as he was a prolific photographer. Gift of the family of Charles “Teenie” Harris, Acc. 

Homestead Grays Uniform  This Homestead Grays uniform was worn by Euthumn “Eudie” Napier. From 1937 to 1945, with the help of future Hall of Famers such as Josh Gibson, “Cool Papa” Bell, Judy Johnson, and Buck Leonard, the Homestead Grays won an unprecedented nine consecutive league pennants and three Negro League World Series titles. Gift of Michael Napier. 

Freedom House Defibrillator  Owned and operated by the Freedom House Ambulance Service, a non-profit service to the Hill District based at Presbyterian Hospital starting in 1967, the defibrillator is a cardiac (heart) monitor used in emergency service to detect and monitor heart rates for emergency patients. Gift of Roy E. Cox.