Some Behind-the-Scenes Preparations for the Upcoming Black Fives Museum Exhibition
Final installations and setups are underway this week at the New York Historical Society, in preparation for the upcoming Black Fives Exhibition that will open on Friday, March 14, 2014.
Getting to this stage is months in the making and takes an incredible amount of work, much of it painstakingly detailed. The process is fascinating and has been a tremendous learning experience.
As the exhibition comes to life there is a buzz in the workspace and throughout the entire building.
Here are some behind-the-scenes snapshots of what’s going on.
A panoramic view inside the Civil Rights Gallery at the New York Historical Society, where the Black Fives Exhibition will be on display.
Directional signage helps the museum’s visitors find their way.
A graphic of Cumberland Posey, Jr. is at the center of attention as installers measure and place labels, studs, and fasteners according to previously designed specifications.
Tools of the trade–dolleys, ladders, drills, measuring tapes, levelers–create a workshop atmosphere inside the museum’s Civil Rights Gallery, in preparation for the exhibition opening this week.
Several vintage basketballs make their way out of the archival vault at the New York Historical Society under the care of Victoria Manning, Associate Registrar for Collections, bound for the exhibition space.
An image of Black Fives Era professional basketball star John Isaacs appears on the institution’s rotating digital display signage that informs patrons of current exhibitions. (Image courtesy of the John Isaacs Family Collection.)
Come see the Black Fives Exhibition at the New-York Historical Society, on display from March 14 to July 20, 2014.
I would like to give information about a team that won the Y-MCA national championship in 1950.The first black champions we have trophy in the hall in Springfield mass but no picture, I have a picture of that team and was a member, hoping to hear from someone in your org. The name of the team was THE CARLTON Y-BROOKLYN NEW YORK Thank you
Dear Mr. Wheeler, thank you for your inquiry. We will be in touch with you. We believe you are referring to the Carlton Avenue YMCA, which was Brooklyn’s first “Colored Branch” of the Y, on Carlton Avenue near Fort Green Park, built in 1902.
Hello, Thank you for all your hard work. What a discovery. My Grand Fathers name was Leonard “Specs” Moten. They called him specs because he had lots of skin-tags or moles on his face. I have found a few things online even a newspaper clipping with his picture. I think he played for the Rens, Savoy, He might have been an orig Globetrotter.He was married to my Grandmother in the early 30′s. If you have more info about his career I would like to know. Good luck on the Exhibition. I plan to make a donation soon. Yours truly Bobbie Robinson