Featuring the visionary works of writers, artists, and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance whose creative and intellectual pursuits reflected the diversity of contemporary discourses that defined Black American identity and political consciousness — and shaped the ideas and arts of a time and place that would profoundly influence future generations.
September 13, 2023 - June 8, 2024
Visit
Main Gallery, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.
View Harrison/Small hours or parking and directions.
Tours
Please let us know if you plan to bring a large group to the exhibition.
Press
Featured collections
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First editions: Claude McKay
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The Small Special Collections Library holds many first editions (with dust jackets) of Harlem Renaissance classics — including this first edition of Home to Harlem by Claude McKay — thanks to book collectors like Clifton Waller Barrett and Arthur Curtiss James.
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First editions: Countee Cullen
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The Small Special Collections Library holds many first editions (with dust jackets) of Harlem Renaissance classics — including this first edition of Copper Sun by Countee Cullen — thanks to book collectors like Clifton Waller Barrett and Arthur Curtiss James.
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Papers of Anne Spencer
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Poet Anne Spencer brought the Harlem Renaissance to Virginia. As one of the most anthologized poets of the Harlem Renaissance, her papers document her life and work as a poet, librarian, teacher, civil rights activist, mother, and gardener.
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Papers of Langston Hughes
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The Papers of Langston Hughes contain manuscripts of some of Hughes’ most famous poems as well as correspondence, photographs, and promotional materials.
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Mule Bone: A Negro Folk Comedy
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Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes based Mule Bone on folklore from Hurston’s hometown of Eatonville, Florida. When Hurston submitted the play for copyright, she listed herself as the sole author — angering Hughes, who severed their friendship.
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The Crisis, Opportunity, and The Messenger
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Three periodicals chronicled the political, cultural, and sociological landscape of the Harlem Renaissance — and fueled the creative market for Black poets, writers, and artists.
Find The Crisis, Opportunity, and The Messenger in Virgo
Exhibition gallery
