African American Museum in Philadelphia

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Visit our “Tour Destination: Philadelphia” page to see the entire walking tour of the first Philadelphia cluster of Save America’s Treasures sites.

The African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March (1965).  Behind the children,
a singing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

African American Museum in Philadelphia

701 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA

Website:  African American Museum in Philadelphia

The Treasure:  Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection at the African American Museum in Philadelphia: This collection of over 500,000 negatives and photographs chronicles critical 20th century political and social movements, including major events of the Civil Rights Movement.

Accessibility: The African American Museum in Philadelphia is open Wednesdays through Saturday from 10 to 5 and Sundays from noon to 5. It’s a big museum with lots of great exhibitions. While images from the Jack T. Franklin Collection are on exhibit from time to time, the best way to see them currently is by visiting the digital images at the Museum Loan Network. The African American Museum is working on creating a digital database of these images that will reside at their site.

March on Washington, DC for
Civil Rights, 1963: James Baldwin
with Julie and Harry Belafonte on
the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
From the Jack T. Franklin
Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in
Philadelphia.

Notes: Jack T. Franklin (1922 – 2009) was one of the most pre-eminent and prolific African American photographers of his generation. For more than four decades, Franklin used his camera to chronicle political and social movements in both Philadelphia and the South. In addition to its national importance, the collection documents significant and extraordinary local history comprising virtually every social, cultural and political event in Philadelphia’s African American community during Franklin’s lifetime. Franklin generously donated his collection of over 500,000 negatives and photographs to the African American Museum in Philadelphia in 1986.

Notes from the Editor: I love the photographs in this collection—they beautifully capture the spirit of the events as well as the humanity of their subjects. I even used one of their great photographs to lead off Tour America’s History’s first blog entry! Now I plan to indulge myself by running a bunch more. Enjoy!

Black People's Unity Concert, circa 1966.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March, 1965: Philadelphia couple at
desegregated lunch counter at airport in Selma, Alabama.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Selma to Motgomery Civil Rights March, 1965: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
poses with ministers from the Philadelphia delegation.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

City Hall Protest, Philadelphia, PA, 1963: Young demonstrator with
sign aimed at Governor George Wallace of Alabama.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Malcolm X in Chester, PA, 1964: During campaign to desegregate the
Chester Public School System.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Starletta DePaur and her cats, Philadelphia, PA (June 26, 1970): Known as
Princess Starletta DePaur during her dance career.  After a dance accident
left her a paraplegic, she began breeding cats to help the handicapped.
From the Jack T. Franklin Photography Collection of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Other Recommended Sites: You can visit one of Philadelphia’s newest historical sites at 6th and Market, just a couple of blocks south of the African American Museum. The President’s House is designed as an open-air exhibition, showcasing the archaeological work that has been done on the foundations of the house that served George Washington and John Adams during their presidencies. The site primarily focuses on the stories of nine slaves who lived and worked here, serving George Washington and his family.

Other nearby museums and historic sites include the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell (can’t visit Philly without seeing the Liberty Bell!), and the new National Museum of American Jewish History. This little patch of Philadelphia is packed with history!

Directly complementing the Jack T. Franklin Collection, there’s another great African-American photography collection on the other side of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. Their Teeny Harris Archive contains nearly 80,000 images documenting Pittsburgh’s African American community from the 1930s through the 1970s.

Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March, 1965: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
with his wife Coretta Scott King.  Seated next to Dr. King is Ralph Abernathy.
Next to Mrs. King is John Lewis;  to his right, A. Philip Randolph, leader of
the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.Noted civil rights leader
Bayard Rustin is on the far left. From the Jack T. Franklin Photography
Collection of the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Tour America's History Itinerary
Tuesday’s destination:  Cruiser Olympia, Independence Seaport Museum
Wednesday’s destination:  USS Becuna, Independence Seaport Museum

© 2011 Lee Price