Alexander Gumby (1885- 1961), was a book collector who ran a salon in Harlem known as The Gumby Book Studio because of the hundreds of books that lined the walls. The salon a rented large studio on 5th Avenue between 131st and 132nd streets attracted many theatrical and artistic lunimaries. < p>
Gumby started his scrapbook collection in 1901 at the age of sixteen. After moving to New York Gumby began to seriously collect the materials which makes up his collection. In 1910 he started the process of gathering the material he had assembled into scrapbooks. In 1950 he presented his collection to the Columbia University Libraries.
A collection concerned with the various phases of black life in America, containing clippings, pamphlets, photographs, pictures, extracts from periodicals, and a representative group of approximately 350 letters, signatures, manuscripts, and documents.
Among the letters are several each from Countee Cullen, Frederick Douglass, Alexander Dumas, fils, William Lloyd Garrison, Claude McKay, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Mencken, William Pickens, Albert A. Smith, and Booker T. Washington. Also, eighteen slavery documents.Most of the material is mounted in 161 scrapbooks or groups of folio leaves.
The clippings are from both general and specialized newspapers and magazines ranging in date from 1850 to 1960, however the majority of the material falls between 1910 and 1950. Whole volumes are devoted tomajor figures such as Joe Louis, Booker T. Washington, Paul Robeson, and Josephine Baker. Four scrapbooks contain signatures, signed photographs, and letters from a great variety of individuals.
Among the unnumbered volumes of personal scrapbooks there are six volumes labeled "Gumby's Autobiography" containing personal letters, calling cards, photographs, post cards, and other printed material relating to Gumby's life.
Part 1 | |||
--Letters, Manuscripts, and Documents | |||
| A & B: | Cataloged letters and
manuscripts Slavery documents Miscellaneous uncalaloged letters Holograph drafts and final typescripts of Gumby's own letters 2 boxes Note: Available on microfilm # 96-2040 and 96-2041 | ||
--Art | |||
| Flat Box 189: | Argudin, P. Portrait of Alexander Gumby [New York], 1934 22 x 19 inches Pastel 1 folder | ||
| Box 19: | Artist's Pallette, signed by
numerous friends 1934-1938 | ||
Part II | |||
--Autographs and Photographs | |||
| Flat 125 & 126: | Signatures, signed photographs,
and letters. 4 volumes in 2 Flat Boxes Note: Not on Microfilm. | ||
Part III | |||
--Scrapbooks | |||
--Numbered Scrapbooks | |||
| Flat Box 127: | 1 | Adventures 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 1. | |
| Flat Box 127: | 2 &: 3 | Amalgamation of
races 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 1. | |
| Flat Box 128: | 4 & 5 | Art 2 volumes volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 1. | |
| Flat Box 128: | 6 | Art,
Modern 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 1. | |
| Flat Box 128 | 7 | Art,
Negro 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 2. | |
| Volume 8: | Baker, Josephine 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 2. | ||
| Flat Box 129: | 9 | Basketball 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 2. | |
| Flat Box 129: | 10 & 11 | Book
reviews 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 2. | |
| Flat Box 130: | 12 & 13 | Breaking the bonds of
slavery 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 2 & 3. | |
| Flat Box 131: | 14 | Bunche, Ralph 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 3. | |
| Flat Box 131: | 15 | Carver, George Washington 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 3. | |
| Flat Box 131 | 16 | Catholics 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 3. | |
| Flat Box 131: | 17 | Classic
art 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 3. | |
| Flat Box 132: | 18 | Charles, Eggard and Joe
Woolcott 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 4. | |
| Flat Box 132: | 19 | Cole and Johnson, and Will
Marion 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 4. | |
| Flat Box 132: | 20 | Columbia
University 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 4. | |
| Flat Box 133: | 21 | Cullen, Countee 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 4. | |
| Flat Box 133: | 22 & 23 | Dancers 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 5. | |
| Flat Box 134: | 24 | Douglass, Frederick 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 5. | |
| Volume 25 in Flat Box 134: | 25 | Du Bois, W. E. B. 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 5. | |
| Flat Box 134: | 26 | Dunbar, Laurence 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 6. | |
| Flat Box 135: | 27 | Education North and
South 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 6. | |
| Flat 135 & 136: | 28 & 29 | Ethiopia 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reels 6 and 7. | |
| Flat Box 136: | 30 | Father Divine 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 7. | |
| Flat Box 136: | 31 | Football 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 8. | |
| Flat Box 137: | 32 | Garvy, Marcus 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 8. | |
| Flat Box 137: | 33 | Green
Pastures 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 8. | |
| Flat Box 137: | 34 | Greenwich
Village 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 8. | |
| Flat Box138: | 35 & 36 | Gumby Book
Studio 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 9 | |
| Box 15: | 37 | Gumby Book Studio:
Quarterly 1 volume Galley Proofs Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 9 | |
| Box 15: | 38 | Gumby Book Studio: Guest
Book 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 9 | |
| Flat Box 139: | 39 | Haiti 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 9 | |
| Flat 139 &: 140: | 40 & 41 | Harlem 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 10. | |
| Flat Box 140: | 42 | Hayes, Roland and Marian
Anderson 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 11. | |
| Flat Box 141: | 43 | Hughes, Langston 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 11. | |
| Flat Box 141: | 44 | Hunter, Morris 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 11. | |
| Flat Box 141: | 45 & 46 | Inter-marriage of Negros and
Whites 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 11. | |
| Flat Box 142: | 47 & 48 | Jazz 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 11. | |
| Flat Box 142: | 49 | Jewish-Prophet-Others 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12. | |
| Flat Box 142: | 50 | Johnson,
Jack 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12. | |
| Flat Box 143: | 51 | Lafayette
Theatre 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12. | |
| Flat Box 143: | 52 | Libraries 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12. | |
| Flat Box 143: | 53 and 54 | Little
Theaters 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12. | |
| Flat 144 & 145: | 55 - 63 | Louis, Joe 8 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 12 & 13. | |
| Flat Box 146: | 64 and 65 | Lynchings and Race
Riots 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 13. | |
| Flat Box 146: | 66 | Mills,
Florence 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 13. | |
| Flat Box 147: | 67 & 68 | Moving
Pictures 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 13. | |
| Flat 147 & 148: | 69, 70 and 70a | Music 3 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 13 & 14. | |
| Flat Box 148: | 71 & 72 | NAACP 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 14. | |
| Flat Box 148: | 73 | Negro and
Communism 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 14. | |
| Flat 149 & 150: | 74 - 77 | Negro as a
Soldier 4 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 14 & 15. | |
| Flat Box 150: | 78 | Negro Business, Labor, and
Newspapers 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 15. | |
| Flat Box 151: | 79 and 80 | Negro
Columnists 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 15. | |
| Flat Box 151: | 81 | Negro
Entertainers 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 15. | |
| Flat Box 152 & 153: | 82 - 85 | Negro
Fighters 4 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 15. | |
| Flat Box 154: | 86 and 87 | Negro in
Africa 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 16. | |
| Flat Box 154: | 88 | Negro in
Baseball 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 16. | |
| Flat Box 155: | 89 | Negro in
Bondage 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 16. | |
| Flat Box 156: | 90 | Negro in
Congress 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 16. | |
| Flat Box 156 & 157: | 91 - 94 | Negro in
Drama 4 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 16 & 17. | |
| Flat Box 157: | 95 and 96 | Negro in
Politics 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 17. | |
| Flat Box 158: | 97 | Negro in
Stamps 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 17. | |
| Flat Box 157 & 159: | 98 & 99 | Negro Musicals on
Broadway 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 17. | |
| Flat Box 159 & 160: | 100 & 101 | Negro
Poets 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 17. | |
| Flat Box 160: | 102 | Negro
Religions 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 160: | 103 & 104 | Negro
Schools 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 161: | 105 | Negro
Sports 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 161: | 106 | Olympic
Games 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 162: | 107 | Opera 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 162: | 108 | Pickens,
William 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 163: | 109 | Porgy 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 18. | |
| Flat Box 163: | 110 | Protestantantism 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 163: | 111 | Radio and
Television 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 175: | 112 | Robeson,
Paul 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 163: | 113 & 114 | Robinson, Jackie 2 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 177: | 115 | Robinson, Sugar
Ray 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 177: | 116 | Rogers, J.
A. 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat Box 178: | 117 | Shakespeare,
William 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19. | |
| Flat 178, 179 & 180: | 118 -121 | Social
Equality 4 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 19 & 20. | |
| Flat Box 180, 181 & 182: | 122 -125 | South 4 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 20. | |
| Flat Box 185: | 126 | Supreme Court and the
Negro 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 20. | |
| Flat Box 186: | 127 | They Broke Through
Discrimination 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 20. | |
| Flat Box 186: | 128 | Thurman,
Wallace, Jean Toomer and Claude McKay 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 20. | |
| Flat Box 186: | 129 | Urban
League 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 20. | |
| Flat 186 & 187: | 130 - 132 | Washington, Booker T. 3 volumes Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 21. | |
| Flat Box 187: | 133 | Waters,
Ethel 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 21. | |
| Flat Box 188: | 134 | Wipper, Leigh 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 21. | |
| Flat Box 188: | 135 | White
Fighters 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 21. | |
| Flat Box 189: | 136 | Williams and
Walker 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 21. | |
| Flat Box 188: | 137 | Johnson, James
W. 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 22. | |
| Flat Box 189: | 138 | Mencken, Henry L. 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 22. | |
| Flat Box 189: | 139 | Miscellaneous 1 volume Note: Available on Microfilm Reel 22. | |
| Box 16: | Greeting and Christmas
Cards 2 volumes | ||
| Box 17: | 142 | Stamp
Scrapbook 1 volume | |
| Box 18: | 143 | Tony
P. [Gumby's cat] 1 volume | |
| Flat Box 190: | 144 | Poetry 1 volume | |
| Flat Box 190: | 145 | Odd, Strange and
Curious 1 volume | |
| Flat Box 191: | 146 | Art 1 volume | |
| Flat Box 191: | 147 | Literature 1 volume | |
| 18 & 19: | 148 & 149 | Stewart,
James 2 volumes | |
| Box 20: | 150 | Sinatra,
Frank 1 volume | |
| Box 20: | 151 | Movie
Stars 1 volume | |
--Gumby's Autobiography in ScrapbooksVolumes 1 & 2 [in one volume] are missing. They were microfilmed and are on microfilm 96-2042. | |||
| Box 21: | Gumby's Autobiography In
Scrapbooks 1 Volume Note: Numbered 3. Available on Microfilm Reel 95-2042. Numbered "Volume 2" on the microfilm. | ||
| Box 22: | Gumby's Autobiography In
Scrapbooks 1 volume Note: Numbered 4. Available on Microfilm Reel 96-2042. Numbered "Volume 3" on the microfilm. | ||
| Box 23: | Gumby's Autobiography In
Scrapbooks 1 volume Note: Volume numberd 5. Available on Microfilm Reel 96-2043. Numbered "Volume 4" on the microfilm. | ||
| Box 24: | Gumby's Autobiography In
Scrapbooks 1 volume Note: Volume numberd 6. Available on Microfilm Reel 96-2043. Numbered "Volume 5" on the microfilm. | ||
Part IV | |||
--Subjects | |||
| Box 1: | Africa | ||
| Africa - The
Congo | |||
| Africa - East Africa Note: Scrapbook compiled by James Arthur Hutton, Manchester, England | |||
| Africa - Stamps | |||
| Africa - Union of South
Africa | |||
| Box 2: | Alabama | ||
| British Race
Relations | |||
| Cartoons | |||
| Civil Rights | |||
| Civil Rights
Bill | |||
| Communism | |||
| Box 3: | Crimes - News
Clippings | ||
| Crimes - The Virginus Outrage | |||
| Crimes - Claraence
Darrow | |||
| Crimes - French - Petain | |||
| Crimes - The Munn
Trial | |||
| Curtwright, Arthur | |||
| Darden, Norman | |||
| Death
Notices | |||
| Delaware | |||
| Discrimination | |||
| Education | |||
| Educators | |||
| Eisenhower,
Dwight | |||
| Ethopia | |||
| Box 4: | Father Divine | ||
| Films | |||
| Florida | |||
| Gibson,
Althea | |||
| Haiti | |||
| Harlem | |||
| Henson, Matthew | |||
| History | |||
| Housing | |||
| Hughes,
Langston | |||
| Box 5: | Illinois | ||
| Integration | |||
| Inter-Racial
Marriage | |||
| Invitations | |||
| Jack, Hulan E. | |||
| Jackman,
Harold | |||
| Kennedy, John and Robert | |||
| Kentucky | |||
| King, Martin
Luther | |||
| Korean War | |||
| Box 6: | Labor | ||
| Labor - Negro Actors
Guild | |||
| Letters to the New York Times | |||
| Liberia | |||
| Lincoln,
Abraham | |||
| Literature | |||
| Little Rock - 1957 | |||
| Little Rock -
1958 | |||
| Little Rock - 1959 | |||
| Louisiana | |||
| Lucy Case | |||
| Box 7: | Marshall, Charles | ||
| Milestones | |||
| Mississippi | |||
| Music | |||
| Music - Carnegie
Hall | |||
| Music - Times Hall | |||
| Music - Town Hall | |||
| Box 8: | NAACP | ||
| Negro as Soldier | |||
| New Jersey | |||
| New York City
Hospital | |||
| North Carolina | |||
| Nugent, R. Bruce | |||
| Opera | |||
| Painters | |||
| Patton, General George
S | |||
| Personal Friends | |||
| Personal Records | |||
| Box 9: | Physicians | ||
| Pictures | |||
| Politics | |||
| Powell, Adam
Clayton | |||
| Prack, Tony | |||
| Religion | |||
| Robeson,
Paul | |||
| Box 10: | Roosevelt, Eleanor | ||
| Roosevelt, Theodore | |||
| Royalty | |||
| Science | |||
| Segregation | |||
| Sale of a Negro Woman 1777 1 Signed Bill of Sale | |||
| Slavery | |||
| The South | |||
| South
Carolina | |||
| Box 11: | Sports - Baseball | ||
| Sports - Boxing, Track, Football,
Basketball | |||
| Box 12: | Sports - Campenella, Roy | ||
| Sports - Louis, Joe | |||
| Sports - Patterson,
Floyd | |||
| Sports - Robinson, Jackie | |||
| Sports - Robinson, Suagr
Ray | |||
| Supreme Court | |||
| Box 13: | Theatre | ||
| Theatre - "Change Your
Luck" | |||
| Theatre - Critics | |||
| Theatre - "The Green
Pastures" | |||
| Theatre - Negro Players in the Casts of White
Shows | |||
| Theatre - The Palybill 1937-1949 | |||
| Theatre - The
Palybill 1950-1959 | |||
| Theatre - "Porgy" | |||
| Theatre - "St. Louis
Woman" | |||
| Tuskegee Institute | |||
| The Unknown Soldier | |||
| Urban
League | |||
| Whipper, Leigh | |||
| Worthy, William D. | |||
| Box 14: | Notebooks | ||
| Miscellaneous | |||
Part V | |||
--Additions | |||
--Scott Joplin | |||
| Box 25: | Correspondence and documents relating to Joplin bibliography:
Works copyrighted by Joplin Memoribilia (with related correcpondence) Pulitzer Prize, 1976 Entertainment Hall of Fame, 1975 Printed ephemera (programs, press releases, brochures) Printed materials (clippings) Printed materials (musical scores) Note: Gift of Joseph Solomon, 1982 | ||
| Flat Box 188: | "Tremonisha" (original cast recording) "Tremonisha" (musical score: 1 page for Act III) 1 folder Note: Gift of Joseph Solomon, 1982 | ||