James Top Graffiti New York archive

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 8119

Scope and content

Audio Visual material preserves the broadcasts of Graffiti New York and other NYC area graffiti and street art events. The archive is comprised of video tapes, DVDs, event flyers, press releases, and photographs. 137 mini DV's, 6 (unknown), 106 VHF tapes, 3 Hi 8 tapes, 2 DV cam tapes; 6 (GRAFFITI NYC TV SHOW ) DVD's, approximately 50 flyers, 10 pamphlets and booklets, 3 covers, 12 press releases, 4 artist profiles, and 25 photographs.

Dates

circa 1975-present.

Creator

James Top aka James Cade (Person)

Language of Material

In English.

Restrictions on Access

Access to collection restricted until completion of processing.

Conditions Governing Use

1. Due to the fragility and potential degradation of moving image and sound recordings, viewing and listening is limited to items that have been digitized. If an item is in another media format, you may request to have the item digitized for access. Information on ordering access copies may be found on the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections webpage.

Conditions Governing Use

2. Use of digitized audio visual materials is limited to on-site access only.

Biographical / Historical

Celebrated graffiti artist and train muralist James Top (born James Cade in the Bronx, NY) grew up in Brooklyn, NY. As JEE 2, he began writing graffiti in 1973 in and around the Pink Houses and the Cypress Hill Houses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. He later became part of the Brooklyn graffiti crew Odd Partners (TOP crew). Today Top practices his art indoors, teaching graffiti in the Bronx and producing the independent TV show Graffiti New York which airs weekly on public access channel 67 on MNN Network (Manhattan only) or live stream on www.mnn.org. An earlier version of the show, called Inside Graffiti, began broadcasting in 1998.