The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries is proud to present a new exhibition, Chicken Bone Beach: The Photography of John W. Mosley and the African-American Experience in Atlantic City. Now through August 30, 2022, the exhibit is on view in the Charles Library first floor exhibit space on Temple University’s Main Campus.  

One of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection’s prominent regional collections is the John W. Mosley Photograph Collection, which documents mid-20th century African American life in and around Philadelphia. John W. Mosley’s photography embraces both photojournalism and storytelling. Through history and imagination, Mosley allows the viewer to envision a scene playing out and a glimpse into the lives of Black people outside of work and with their families, as seen in his Chicken Bone Beach photographs. 

From the early 1900s through the 1960s, African Americans vacationing in Atlantic City, New Jersey were relegated to the beach at Missouri Avenue. The popular fare for the summer was fried chicken, which earned the section the nickname of “Chicken Bone Beach.” Ironically, before 1900, Blacks and Whites in Atlantic City lived side-by-side and African Americans used the beaches without restriction. Chicken Bone Beach became the destination for Civil Rights activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., athletes such as Joe Louis, entertainers such as Sammy Davis, Jr., and other celebrities along with casual vacationers to unwind during the summers of the Civil Rights era.  

The artistry of Mosley’s work at play on Chicken Bone Beach was not only about Black joy and deconstructing stereotypes, but also about segregation. He captured a moment in history when people of African descent were kept out of what would be under normal circumstances open spaces. In Atlantic City, Blacks had to find their own recreational space at the foot of Missouri Avenue, and despite this, they turned it into something beautiful. It was about creating a space in a society where they were systematically excluded from having a voice. 

When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, beaches including Atlantic City could no longer be segregated. To protect this endangered African American heritage site, the Atlantic City Council passed an ordinance in 1997, declaring Chicken Bone Beach (also known as the Missouri Avenue Beach) an historical landmark. 

The exhibition was curated by Leslie Willis-Lowry, archivist of the Blockson Collection, the Heston Collection at the Atlantic City Free Public Library, and the private collection of Atlantic City historian Vicki Gold Levi.  

Besides the distinguished Mosley photographs of Chicken Bone Beach, the exhibition includes a rare collection of original portraits from photography studios that dotted the Boardwalk and the avenue, the 1964 National Democratic Convention, Club Harlem, Paradise Club, Shriners, Madame Sara Spencer Washington and Apex products, parades, and civic events.   

Charles Library is free and open to all. Check the website for hours: library.temple.edu.

Guest post by Courtney Eger, Learning and Engagement Librarian

Design proposal of the Sheppard Asylum near Baltimore, MD by Calvert Vaux, 1860
Image courtesy of the National Library of Medicine

The week of October 3rd is Mental Illness Awareness Week, the perfect time for Ginsburg Health Sciences Library’s online programming around Care and Custody: Past Responses to Mental Health. In the United States, it was once common practice to commit people to asylums if they had a mental health condition and their family was unable to care for them. 

Over time, the horrors of institutional care were revealed (overcrowding, abuse, etc.).  Asylums were closed in a process called deinstitutionalization, creating issues of care in the community. New problems arose from this change, including an increase in incarceration for those with mental health conditions and more attention to community-based treatment programs. 

George Elder in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, photograph by Nelson Martinez, 1971
Image courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University

You can read more about this history at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) online exhibit website. There is even a Temple connection in the NLM’s exhibit: this photo of George Elder from the Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center 

​The Ginsburg Health Sciences Library invites you to attend a series of online events and workshops related to this topic from October 4–7, 2021. Our lineup includes:

• Two workshops
  • Bias in Mental Health Literature, presented by Courtney Eger
  • Searching for Mental Health Topics, presented by Stephanie Roth
• Two online lectures
  • From Incarceration to Therapeutics in the Friends’ Asylum: Treating Philadelphia’s ‘Insane’ in the 19th Century. Dr. Darin Hayton of Haverford College will speak on local mental health history. 
  • Giving Asylum to Those Who Need It. Dr. Dominic Sisti of UPenn will speak about deinstitutionalization and mass incarceration. 
• One panel
  • Mental Health and Academics: Tips and Strategies for College Students with speakers Janie Egan (Temple University Wellness Resource Center), Hannah Roach (student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Class of 2023), Janet A. Castellini (MSS, LCSW), and Jen Rowe (Disability Resources and Services)
  • (Please note—The panel #FreeBritney: A Case Study in Care vs Custody, originally planned for this week, has been postponed.)
• In addition there will be Creative Self Care kits for health sciences students on campus. Stop by the Ginsburg or Podiatry Libraries on Monday, October 4 to pick up a create-your-own jigsaw puzzle kit (while supplies last!).

Learn more about these events at our program website or on our events page!

Image courtesy of the National Library of Medicine

Welcome back to Temple University Libraries’ programs and events blog! For our first post in a while, we’re going behind the scenes to tell you more about the programming brought to you by the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection.

First, we’ll take a look back at some of the Blockson Collection’s recent programs, and then we’ll check in with Dr. Diane Turner, curator, and Leslie Willis-Lowry, associate archivist, who help plan and coordinate Blockson Collection programs.

Still from walkthrough of The Quest for Freedom and Dignity: Celebrating William Still and Harriet Tubman exhibit, from the Blockson Collection’s Juneteenth program

June programs celebrated Black Music Month, Juneteenth, and William Still

On June 3, we went on a musical journey with pianist, composer, producer, teacher, and dancer Alfie Pollitt. Pollitt, who has worked with a number of famed musicians in the genres of so-called jazz and rhythm and blues, spoke candidly about his life experiences and career. We invite you to view the program and watch the fascinating stories, hear musical tributes, and learn a little more about Black music in honor of Black Music Month.

Later that month, we celebrated the bicentennial of William Still’s birth and Juneteenth. We started off by watching a video walkthrough of The Quest for Freedom and Dignity: Celebrating William Still and Harriet Tubman exhibit, on view through June 2022 in the Blockson Collection. Then, Charles L. Blockson, curator emeritus and founder of the collection, reflected personally on his family history and relations to William Still and Harriet Tubman in a video from a previous program held at the Blockson Collection. View the entire program on our website. And, check out this article highlighting some items in the collection that can help us better appreciate and understand the significance of Juneteenth.

Meet the staff

We checked in with two Blockson Collection staff members, Dr. Diane Turner and Leslie Willis Lowry, to ask about recent programs, the shift to virtual events during the pandemic, and the upcoming season. But first, let’s meet them!

Dr. Diane D. Turner is curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries. Dr. Turner holds three Temple University degrees. Her areas of specialization and research include African American Labor, Cultural and Social History, Philadelphia Jazz History, Independent Black Filmmakers, Oral History, and Public History. Her dissertation is entitled Organizing and Improvising: A History of Philadelphia’s Black Musicians’ Protective Union Local 274, American Federation of Musician. She has taught African-American history at the university level including Brown University, Northeastern University, Rowan University, University of South Florida (Tampa, FL) and other institutions.  She has authored My Name is Oney Judge (2010), Feeding the Soul: Black Music, Black Thought (2011) and Our Grand Pop is a Montford Point Marine (2018), co-authored with her father, Corporal Thomas S. Turner Sr. Her writings appear in anthologies and scholarly journals. She serves as a consultant on a number of advisory boards and committees such as Bethel Burial Ground Historic Site Memorial Committee, Chronicling Resistance, Scribe Video’s Precious Places and others. She is president of the Montford Point Marines Association, Philadelphia Chapter #1 Auxiliary. Her current book project is a history of jazz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Leslie Willis Lowry is associate archivist at the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries, and has worked in collections management and as an archivist, researcher and consultant in several capacities, including special collections, exhibitions, films, television and publications for over thirty years, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the International African American Museum in Charleston, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, The Museum of Afro-American History in Boston, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Bronx Museum of Art, Scholastic Books, among others. As a curatorial and research assistant to Deborah Willis, the nation’s leading historian of African American photography and curator of African American culture, Leslie has cataloged the work of individual photographers, photographic collections and groups of photographs that are part of an exhibition and publications; in addition to researching and planning for photographic exhibitions. After years of working in management, supervising hundreds of employees, and as liaison and consultant to many cultural institutions and religious organizations, Leslie’s career has been divided into two distinct areas – archival and education – within the broad areas of photographic history, visual culture, African American history and popular and material culture. Within these fields she has consistently emphasized the importance of the use of the archives to build programming, education and community connections.

Building Blockson Collection programs

Diane and Leslie took turns answering our questions about programming at the Blockson Collection.

Temple Libraries (TL): How do you go about planning programs for the Blockson Collection? Where do you get your ideas from and/or how do you choose speakers to feature?
Diane Turner (DT): Blockson Collection staff use program planning meetings to collaboratively work on developing programs. We use our knowledge base of history and culture in Philadelphia for inspiration and in identifying potential speakers.

TL: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the Libraries’ programs and events have gone virtual. What has that been like for the Blockson Collection’s programming? Have there been any unexpected benefits or challenges?
Leslie Willis Lowry (LWL): The Blockson Collection accomplished a great deal during this unusual period of working remotely through the COVID-19 pandemic. As an initiative to stay connected with members of our community, programs were redesigned using a virtual platform to give it the modern aesthetic needed for further reach. The virtual programs continue to enable our community members to become aware of new research and to identify emerging scholars and programming that addresses issues that are a part of our mission.

With the rich and impactful virtual programming we produced this year, we were able to strengthen our visibility and expand our contact list numbers. We were also able to develop wider audiences online through social media growth. Attendees were represented both nationally and internationally.

TL: Can you share a favorite moment from your recent June programs?
DT: The [June 3rd] program was pre-recorded at the Philadelphia Clef Club, and this was the first live music that I had heard since February 2020.  Also, we lost Sam Reed so we are honored to have featured him for Jazz Appreciation Month.

TL: Anything you can tell us about the upcoming 2021-2022 programming season?
LWL: The Blockson Collection’s upcoming 2021-2022 programs season includes the following:

SEPTEMBER
September 22 | Glenn Ellis
History of Black Health in America

September 29 | Gospel Music Heritage Month
Honoring the Legendary Marion Williams

OCTOBER
October 7 | William Still’s birthday Celebration

October 19 | Scribe Video Center | Precious Places Community History Project Screenings
-The Freedom Theatre
-William Penn High School
-Church of the Advocate
-OIC

October 28 | Cullen Knight
Entertainment, Jazz and Social life in North Philadelphia

NOVEMBER
November 9 | Oral History Program with Karen Warrington
Ile Ife Black Humanitarian Center: The Importance of the Center and its Cultural Impact

November 18 | Author Talk: Haki Madhubuti
“The Autobiography of a Black Vegan”

The Libraries are once again offering our Crunch Time Café to help you refuel and relax as you prep for final exams. Our offerings are a bit different this year, as we prepare Paley for the move to Charles Library, so read on to see where you can find us.

Be on the lookout Tuesday, April 30 around late morning as we travel through Paley Library handing out snacks from our awesome library cart. High fives are most appreciated.

You can also stop by our table on the First Floor of Paley from 2:00-4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 1 and 9:00–11:00 am on Monday, May 6 for snacks and to share your favorite memories of Paley in our video booth.

And don’t worry—we didn’t forget the therapy dogs! We’re partnering this year with the Wellness Resource Center to bring Destress with Dogs to the Student Center 217A on Thursday, May 2 from 11:30 am–2:30 pm.

Need research help?

Chat, text, email, or make an appointment with a subject librarian at library.temple.edu/asktulibraries.  

And to make your studying easier

Paley Library is open 24/7 from 8:00 AM on Thursday, April 25 through Tuesday, May 7. You can also book study spaces ahead of time at paleystudy.temple.edu.

photo by Brae Howard

Last week, the Libraries unveiled our very first Short Édition short story dispenser in the Student Center. With just the push of a button, the dispenser prints a free short story or poem just for you.

Short Édition is a French publishing house of short literature: poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. In addition to their online platform, they publish fiction around the world via their Short Story Dispensers for the public to enjoy a serendipitous literary experience.

Our dispenser features a “Local Fiction” button, which prints out a story written by a member of Temple community or the Philadelphia writing community. The “International Fiction” button dispenses stories from around the world.

Laura Bates reads her story, photo by Brae Howard

In conjunction with our dispenser launch, we also held our first creative writing contest. The theme of the contest was “transformation,” and the winners (listed below) joined us at the launch party to read their winning submissions.

Juried Winner
Catherine Averill, “Something to Save”

Juried Runners-up
Laura Bates, “The Sunshine State”
Nicholas Perilli, “Chimera”

Public Winner
Sean Mac Donald, “There is Change”

Be sure to stop by the Student Center (South Lobby, First Floor) to try out the machine and pick up your own story. Follow our social media accounts for future contest announcements:
@TempleLibraries      tulibraries      Temple University Libraries

Celebrate National Library Week with us! Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April, National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians in transforming lives and strengthening communities.

At Paley, we’ll be tabling outside (if weather permits!) and there will be snacks, swag, and photo booth opportunities. Stop by and talk to us about the Libraries!

Library Table Hours at Paley:
Monday, April 8, 12:00–2:00 pm
Wednesday, April 10, 1:00–3:00 pm

We’re also teaming up with the Office of Sustainability for Campus Sustainability Week, so check out their Surplus Pop-up outside Paley on Monday.

Finally, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to see how we are celebrating in real time. Tag us and #NationalLibraryWeek to join the conversation.