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James G. Spady papers, 1920-2020 (inclusive) 1980-2020 (bulk)

Extent:

12.5 linear feet (21 boxes and 10 3.5 inch floppy disks, 3 dvds, 54 compact disks.) and 2.0 gigabytes

Abstract:

James Garland Spady (1944-2020) was a writer, activist, journalist, and historian, and is credited for being one of the first scholars to document and study the evolution of Hip Hop. Broadly speaking, this collection reflects Spady's expansive interest in Black history and culture, particularly music, and is comprised of both his own writing and material that he collected on these topics. The collection contains notepads and notebooks, correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, books, a large variety of articles and essays, interview transcripts, periodicals, audio compact discs, digital media, and ephemera. The collection primarily documents his professional and intellectual work from roughly 1980 until the end of his life, but very little is revealing of his personal life.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Ashley Bryan papers, 1823-2019 (inclusive) 1928-2019 (bulk)

Extent:

85 linear feet (146 boxes)

Abstract:

Ashley Bryan (1923-2022) was an artist and storyteller best known for his award-winning children's book illustrations with particular emphasis on African folktales and African-American spirituals. Bryan authored, illustrated, published, and distributed his first book in Kindergarten, later graduating from Cooper Union and Columbia University, being awarded a Fulbright to study at the University of Freiburg, before becoming a professor at Dartmouth College. The collection documents his lifelong devotion to the arts including sketchbooks, artwork, and especially materials relating to the publication process of over sixty book projects. There is also material relating to his professional engagements; certificates, awards, diplomas, and plaques relating to his many achievements; and personal and family materials, notebooks, photographs, greeting cards and postcards, school children thank you cards and artwork, and research files and ephemera. Also included are foundational...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]