Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-10-21


Works of Afro Americans Written
and Published Centuries Aao.
By N. BARNETT DODSON.
Yonkers, N. Y.-Severai months ago
Arthur Schomburg of New York city
and j. Z. Bruce of Yonkers discussed
at the latter's residence. In Yonkers,
the feasibility Of establishing society
with limited membership for the pur-
pose of gathering Information from
books and through correspondence of
historical value to the Negro race.
Their ideas agreed, and number of
men known to be interested In work
of this character were invited to at
tend a meeting in Yonkers not long
ago, at which time the plans Of Messrs.
Schomburg and Bruce were out
lined and cordially approved by those
present, and the society was organized.
The name Negro Society For Histor-
ical Research was adopted and full
complement of officers was elected as
follows: John e. Bruce, president; A.
A. Schomburg. secretary-treasurer;
Professor W. w. Weekes, musical d.
rector; David B. Fulton. librarian; w.
e. Braxton, art director. Membership
in the society Is limited to twenty ac-
tive members. and the entrance fee is
$40, with monthly tax OF 25 cents.
The society purposes to gather
through its correspondents In the Unit
ed States and foreign countries books,
pamphlets and valuable manuscripts
written by Negroes and when opportu-
nifty presents to reprint such books or
pamphlets now out Of print and coming
into possession which have any his
torical value or which will be useful
for reference. These it will endeavor
to dispose of to members Of the race
who are interested in knowing what
Negroes who wrote books fifty or a
hundred years ago had to say and how
they said 1t.
The society is also making collec
ton of pictures. old wood cuts, photo
graphs of Negroes here and abroad
But this feature of Its work will be at
tended with some difficulty, az there
are few pictures Of noted Negroes Of
the early period in this country. 1t
recently came into posseesioH. Of .
splendid steel engraving of Nat fur-
ner. the virginian Negro who headed
and led an insurrection In that state
in 1893. which 1t contemplates repro
ducing and disposing of for the pur-
pose of adding to its book fund. The
books thus far gathered by Messrs-
Schomburg and Bruce embrace over
$50 titles. A few OF the more impor-
tant ones are here given:
Poems of Phyllis wheatiey." liza. frst
edition: "poems of Phillis Wheatley." re-
visited edition; Letters Of Phillis Wheat
ley" of which only 100 copies were pub
lished; "Anglo-African Magazine" vol. I.
1859; 1.-The Greatness Of Christ" africa
and America" Alex. Crummel: West
Africa Before Europe" f. A. Blyden. LII.
D.; History Of Black Phalanx." Colonel
J. T. Wilson: "Clothilde." novel. William
Wells Brown; '.Behind the Scenes" Mrs
e. Kekley; Light and Truth" R L. Lew
Is. Boston. 1910.
THE Color of Solomon" Bishop B.
Tanner; Biography Major NJ. r. De-
lany; Poems of Islay Walden" blind
poet of North Carolina 1875; Poems of
Frances Ellen Watkins" Harper: Dr.
Robert ]. Love: THE National Provi-
dence." Hon. J. C. Smith: Money and
Profit Sharing Hon. ]. G. Smith; THE
Nations From a New Point of View" Rev
Harvey Johnson: THE Rock Of Wisdom
(sermons) N. C. W. Cannon. 1890: Race
Adjustment" Kelly Miller. Esq. Bio
graphical Sketches OF Persons OF Color
Miss A. Mott: Around the World With
Uncle Sam," ]. II. Paynter: Shadows and
Light" NJ. w. Gibbs; Anthology of Ne
gro Poets" Messrs. Schomburg and Bruce
fCompilaton).
"shammah. Glimpses of the Ages" 2
vols. DR. T. E. 8. scholes. London. Eng.
Prince Saunders Haytian Papers,
"Frondacity." ]. J. Thomas reply to J
A. Froude; Negro Patriots Revolution.
W. c. Nell: Historical Notes OF the EN-
pioyment Of Negroes In New York" 1853
George II. Moore: 1.-The Exiles of Florida
J. r. Giddings: THE Freedman book. L
M Child: Hanover" story Of the VIII
mington riots. d. B. Fulton: Narrative
of Sojourner Truth" Essays" Rafael
Sierra; Poems" FREDERICK Marin
Life Of Pierre Toussaint." first and Sec
Douglass: Charles Sumner A. Grimke.
THE Lone Star of Liberia" A. Dur
ham: IAN Historical Research" George
Livermore; Negro Masonry" Upton,
Echoes From Harper's Ferry" Redputh.
Genesis In the Grebo Tongue" Rev.
Douglass sprague: Life OF Julius Mel
bourne" 1859: THE Cushte." Rufus L
Perry; THE Octoroon." A. A. whitman
poems: Origin and Objects of Ancient
Freemasonry." DR.. Martin r. De Laney
"Etoile Africaine." Benito Sylvan, aid
de-camp King Menellk.
THE Black Venus" ''Timbuctoo the
Mysterious" Felix Du Bois: The Souls
of Black Folk w. r. d. Du Bois; Ellis.
tory Of Negro Race" George w. wil
liams; Negro Soldiers In the Rebellion.
George W. Williams: "Placido" poems
Negro In Revolution "Celebratcd
Crimes" Alexander Dumas; Inter TEN
porary Values" 1.-The Gold Trust :" "AhuS
aapce and Hard Times"