Amsterdam News photograph archive

Collection includes photographs and related materials covering a broad range of topics, with a particular focus on day-to-day life in New York's African-American community during the 20th century. Subjects include civil rights marches and protests, church events, high school graduations, local politics, and fashion. Some photographs were taken by staff photographers, while others originated with wire services or as submissions from individuals or agencies. Formats in the collection include silver gelatin prints, negatives (including many unpublished images), contact sheets, Polaroids, wire photos, and halftone prints. As the working photo archive of a continuously-published newspaper, many of the images have retouching, attached captions, press releases, cover letters, and printer's instructions. In addition to photographs, the collection includes ephemera and manuscript material, including newspaper article drafts, typescript and mimeographed speeches, correspondence, event programs, magazine and newspaper clippings, employment applications, press releases, and newspaper production materials.

The bulk of the materials in the archive range from the mid-1940s through the mid-1990s. The materials are divided into series, reflecting the organization of the materials in the AM News offices. A major sub-series of the collection is the archive of Mel Tapley, who began working for the Amsterdam News in 1942 and served as entertainment editor until his retirement in 1997. The Mel Tapley archive includes a wide variety of material, including correspondence, manuscript and typescript articles and notes, artwork, press kits, publicity photos, and printing plates for comic strips drawn by Tapley.

Photographers represented in the collection include Bert Andrews, Kwame Brathwaite, Al Burley, James C. Campbell, Curt Clemons, Juanita M. Cole, Karl Crutchfield, L. St. Clair Dummett, Monroe S. Frederick II, James Gilbert, Dave Greene, Austin Hansen, Tex Harris, Bob Head, Cecil Layne, David McAdams, Bill Moore, Allen Morgan, Vondel Nichols, Lem Peterkin, George M. West, and Lloyd Yearwood. Photo agencies and services represented include Pictorial Enterprise, Wide World Photo, Harris Photo, News Voice International, Rapid News Photo, United Press International, Negro Press Photo Service, Wagner International Photos, and Ace Creative Photos.