The Lexington standard. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 1892-1912, 1911-10-21
SELECT SOCIETY
FOR RESEARCH
UNIQUE PLAN TO TRACE
HISTORY OF THE RACE
Organization Made Up of WelI-In-
formed Students Has for Its Object
the Preservation of the Literary
Works Of Afro-Americans Written
and Published Centuries Ago.
BY N. BARNETT DoDsoN.

Yonkers, N. Y.--Several months ago
Arthur Schomburg, of New York City,
and J. L. Bruce, of Yonkers, discussed
at the latter's residence, in Yonkers,
the feasibility of establishing a society
:, III a limited membership for the
purpose of gathering information from
books and through correspondence Of
historical value to the Negro race.
Their ideas agreed, and a 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
outlined and cordially approved by
those present, and the society was or
ganized The name Negro Society for
Historical Research was adopted and
full complement Of officers was
elected, as follows: John E. Bruce,
president; A. A. Schomburg, secre-
tary-treasurer; Prof. w. w. Weeks,
musical director; David B. Fulton,
librarian; w. e. Braxton, art director.
Membership in the society is limited
to twenty active members, andAthe
entrance fee is $40, with a monthly
tax of 25 cents.
The society purposes to gather
| through its correspondents in the
United States and foreign countries
books, pamphlets and valuable manu-
scripts written by Negroes and when
| opportunity presents to reprint such
books or pamphlets now out OF print
and coming into possession which
have any historical value or which
will be useful for reference. These il
will endeavor to dispose Of to mem
bers of the race who are interested in
| knowing what Negroes who wrote
books fifty or a hundred years age
had to say and how they said it.
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
attended with some difficulty, as there
are few pictures of noted Negroes o.
the early period in this country. 1
recently came into possession of ;
! splendid steel engraving OF Nat Tur
ner, the Virginia negro who headet
} and led an insurrection in that Stat'
in 1888, which it contemplates repro
ducing and disposing Of for the pur
pose Of adding to its book fund. Th'
books thus far gathered by Messrs
} Schomburg and Bruce embrace owe
/ $50 titles. A few Of the more i'm
5 Ipcrtant ones are here given:
Poems Of Phyllis Wheatleys" 177s
2 first edition; Poems Of Phillis Wheat
= Hey" revised edition; Letters of Phi
lis Wheatiey," of which only 10
copies were published; "Anglo-Africai
e Magazine" vol. /, 1859; 'The Greai
e ness of Christ" /" Africa and America,
y Alex. Crummell; "West Africa Befor
a Europe" K. A. Blyden, LII D.; "Hii
y tory of Black Phalanx," Col. ]. ]
4 Wilson; "Clothilde," a novel, WilliaI
el Wells Brown; 'sBehind the Scenes,
t Mrs. e. kelley; Light and Truth
(! R. L. Lewis. Boston, 1910.
FL THE Color Of Solomon" Bishop
e, 1T. Tanner; Biography" Major M.
r Delany; Poems of Islay Walden
blind poet Of North Carolina. 1875
Poems Of Frances Ellen Watkins
Harper; DR.. Robert J. Love; 'sTl
Z. National Providence HA ].
lGpith: Money and Proft Sharing
n. on. ]. G. Smith; "ThA Nations fro
a - Point Of View, Rev. Harvt
JoDslSon; "The Rock Of Wisdom" (se
a. mons), n. C. w. Cannon, 1920; "Ra
le Adjustment, Kelly Miller, ESQ
u Biographical Sketches Of Persons
ID Color" Miss A. Mott; Around Il
s. World With Uncle SAM ]. H, Pay
m ter; Shadows and Light" NJ
r Gibbs; Anthology Of Negro poet
D hessFs sehomburg and Bruce fcc