Schomburg House
RETRIEVE THE PAST, CREATE THE FUTURE!
WHY DO WE HAVE ARTURO SCHOMBURG HOUSE?
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, also Arthur Schomburg (January 24, 1874 – June 8, 1938), was a Puerto Rican historian, writer, and activist in the United States who researched and raised awareness of the great contributions that Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Americans have made to society. He was an important intellectual figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Over the years, he collected literature, art, slave narratives, and other materials of African history, which was purchased to become the basis of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, named in his honor, at the New York Public Library (NYPL) branch in Harlem.
Background
- Born January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico
- Died June 8, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York
- Nationality-Puerto Rican
- Political movement-Harlem Renaissance movement
- Background (Professional Career)
In 1896, Schomburg began teaching Spanish in New York. From 1901 to 1906 Schomburg was employed as messenger and clerk in the law firm of Pryor, Mellis and Harris, New York City. In 1906, he began working for the Bankers Trust Company. Later, he became a supervisor of the Caribbean and Latin American Mail Section and held that until he left in 1929. While supporting himself and his family, Schomburg began his intellectual work of writing about the Caribbean and African-American history. His first known article, "Is Hayti Decadent?" was published in 1904 in The Unique Advertiser. In 1909 he wrote Placido, a Cuban Martyr, a short pamphlet about the poet and independence fighter Gabriel de la Concepción Valdéz.
Notable Achievements
- 1926: Schomburg was appointed the curator of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature and Art, named in his honor, at the 135th Street Branch (Harlem) of the Library.
- 1931: Schomburg served as Curator of the Negro Collection at the library of Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee, helping direct their acquisition of materials.