Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-01-08

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For uniqueness tho collection of
rare prints, pictures. portraits. man
uscripts, books, etc, shown recently
In Washington Is perhaps unparal-
lelled In the history of tho colored
people of the country, and It's tormi-
nation brought regret to many who
were unable to make an inspection
because of the short duration Of the
exhibit.
The American Negro Academy
meets in Washington each December,
and this year held its twcnty-fourth
annual meeting, December 2Sth and
18th. In the Dunbar, High School. as
the guest Of the Dunbar Civic Center
Council of tho Community Center
Department Of the Washington Pub
lie Schools; and the exhibit was an
effort OF the Academy 10 live up to
Its aims and objects and get others
OF the race interested in gathering
and preserving similar photography
and historical data.
The Public Librarian of Washing
ton, after n visit to the Academy,
gave written expression as follows:
II wish to thank you for your invi-
tation to view the exhibit. I found
1t very Interesting. I think you are
to be congratulated on getting such
an exhibit together"
The Washington Times said: "Tho
exhibit shows the culture of tho Ne
gro mind"
The exhibit. while held under tho
auspices Of tho American Negro
ACADEMY. was made up Of items
principally from the collections Of
Mr.. Henry p. Slaughter, OF Wash
ingtOn: Mr.. Arthur A. Schomburg,
OF Brooklyn: Rev. Charles D. Mar
tin. of New York City; Mr.. Il. II. NJ.
Murray, Of Alexandra. Va, and Mr..
John w. Cromwell, Of Washington.
Owing to the very limited facili-
ties for an extensive display Of raro
Items, the exhibit was far from COM
p!cte. there being much moro mate
rial for exhibition than could-be pos
sibly utilized: however, the display
was comprehensive and proved sur
prise to connoisseurs as well rs to
the public.
Groups Of many distinctive fea-
lures characterized the DISPLAY as q
whole. In the Schomburg collection
were rare books, documents and
prints typical OF native African cul-
ture, valuable pictures and literary
Items covering the history Of Hniti,
Santo Domingo, and the great Mill
tary chicftain. Toussaint Overture;
besides such items of racial culture,
in the United States, rs the works OF
Phillis Wheatley, Alexander Crum-
nell, and many engrayings of celeb
rites Of anti and post-bellum days.
Among the more important items
In the loan Of Mr.. Slaughter were
the books, documents and autograph
ed letters Illustrative Of the anti
slavery struggle. These included q
letter from John Brown to his wife;
Autographed letters and engravings
OF Charles Sumner, Frederick Doug
lass, Thaddeus Stevens. Calvin Fair
banks, Wendell Phillips. Gerritt
Smith, Lucrctia Mott, Harriet
Reccher Stowe, and other celebrated
leaders In the abolition movement
Also embraced in Mr.. Slaughter's
contribution wore many items Of In
terost and Nnlno. i>c'uding four Ban
neker htmanacs Of 1892 and 1893;
signod and sealed document by
General L'Overture. ono of. II not
tho Inst, military orders issued by
him from his headquarters; q copy
Of the works of Jupiter Hammond,
the first colored poet in America;
etchings and autographed letters Of
the elder and younger Dumas; a
practically complete collection Of tho
works Of Paul Lawronce Dunbar, en-
hracing volumes of both poetry and
prose; several rare etchings. engrav-
;ngs and Autographs, including
Hovenden's John Brown Going to
Execution" "The Storming of Fort
Wagner" 1.-THE Reading Of the
Emancipation Parliamentary 90.
Rev. Martins contribution, of
nearly one hundred engravlngs and
prints, covered a wide range Of cele-
brated characters and events of par
ticular pertircnce to the colored
mans development in tho United
States.
Mr.. Murray's loan included a COM
plete series OF illustrations from his
very notable book, characterization
and tho Freed in American Sculp-
ture," embracing something more
than one hundred reproductions In
photogravurc OF famous sculpture in
the United States.
Mr.. Cromwell contributed several
pictures, among them being colored
ii'hoS idpiS OF tHe cclcDfatou C0lOrGd
Russian, Alexander Pushkin; Gotta
WACO, tho African king, and Cinque,
the daring African adventurer; also
valuable letters and manuscripts.
a rare colorcd Autograph of tho
Boston massacre, showing tho kill
ing of Crispus Attacks; an engraved
fac-simile copy Of the Thirteenth
Amendment and signatures thereto;
and number OF photographs, in
Guiding ono OF "Blind Tom" we're
furnished by Dr.. John Il. Washing
ton.
Dir. a. M. Curtis displayed a full
stature drawing of Dunbar, and Mr..
Pobert A. Pelham furnished several
historical items Of interest.
Among the exhibits was an oil
n''nting of Phillis Wheatley by a
colored artist Of New York city, who
makes a snccialty of reproducing
"Fembrants" in the METROPOLITAN
Museum of Art in New York. This
painting was tho gift OF Mr. Schom-
burg and Rev. Martin to tho Acad-
envy. which In turn presented it to
the Dunbar High School In annrocio