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Multicultural Collections

The Canaday Center preserves many rare and unique resources that provide opportunities for research in the diverse cultures of the world. The Center has collected rare books by African-American writers since its founding in 1979. These include writers of the nineteenth century, and the Center preserves some scarce volumes from those who published before the Civil War. Also included are writers of the late nineteenth century, including Paul Lawrence Dunbar, who lived in Toledo for a brief period of time.

The Center’s African-American collection is richest, however, in the period beginning with the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and extending through the Black Arts movement of the 1960s. The Center holds a significant collection of first editions of African-American writers of these periods, and is particularly strong in its collection of works by women authors. In addition to published works, the Center holds the papers of two important African-American poets—Etheridge Knight, who began writing poetry while serving time in prison; and Herbert Woodward Martin, a graduate of The University of Toledo.

The Center has also made an effort to collect records and printed works of organizations in Toledo that have sought to preserve the cultural history of the city’s immigrant populations, including the Polish, Hungarian, and German communities. In addition, the Center holds the records of organizations that promote cultural exchange. Most important of these is the Association of Two Toledos, the oldest sister-city organization in the world. One of the founders of the association was University of Toledo President Dr. Henry Doermann, and his involvement is evidenced by the university’s motto, which is written in old Spanish rather than the more common Latin, and its seal, which is modeled after the coat of arms of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Lastly, some of the Center’s manuscript collections document interesting aspects of international history. These include the papers of Toledo lawyer Gustavus Ohlinger, who traveled to South Africa at the end of the Boer War and captured that time in photographs and a daily journal. They also include an extensive collection of papers of Indian demographer Dr. Sripati Chandrasekhar. Dr. Chandrasekhar was one of the leaders of efforts by India to bring its population growth under control in the 1960s, and his papers document this controversial program.

Featured collections

"Multicultural Collections" exhibits

This is an exhibit featuring the Canaday Center's collection on multicultural collections.

Multicultural Collections


 

Multicultural Collections:

“Cultural exchange opens up a world of opportunities for education, understanding, and economic growth. Because the more we know about different people and cultures, the more we see how easily we can work and play together.”

Multicultural Collections

"Multicultural Collections" exhibit cabinet, top shelf

Top shelf

The Afro-American Press and Its Editors

Penn, I. Garland. The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. Springfield, MA: Willey & Co., Publishers, 1891

This significant and rare work is on the history of African-American journalism and those who dedicated their lives to champion the social, political, and educational rights of black Americans through the press. Extensive in scope and well researched, the book begins with the first black U.S. newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, and includes chapters on eminent African-American men and women journalists.

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A Street in Bronzeville

Brooks, Gwendolyn. A Street in Bronzeville. New York: Harper, 1945

Gwendolyn Brooks published her first poem at age thirteen and three years later had compiled a portfolio of 75 published poems ranging in style from sonnets to free verse. A Street in Bronzeville was her first published book of poetry and was critically acclaimed. This first edition copy was signed by Brooks for The University of Toledo.

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Memoirs and Poems of Phyllis Wheatley, a Native African and a Slave

Wheatley, Phyllis. Memoirs and Poems of Phyllis Wheatley, a Native African and a Slave. Boston, MA: Geo. W. Light, 1834

Wheatley was one of the first African-American writers to achieve an international reputation. The fact that an African-born slave woman was writing poetry in English was a surprise to the whites of the time. Her first published works appeared in London in 1773. This particular volume is a collection of prose and poetry about events that happened during her lifetime.

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The Bluest Eye

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970

This first published novel written by the Nobel Prize in Literature winner Toni Morrison tells the tragic story of a young African-American girl growing up in Ohio after the Great Depression. The novel deals with issues of incest, prostitution, domestic violence, child molestation, and racism. This is a signed first edition. .

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A Colored Woman in a White World

Terrell, Mary Church. A Colored Woman in a White World. Washington, D.C.: Ransfell Inc., 1940

This landmark autobiography describes the life of a privileged black woman trying to deal with the realities of discrimination, and details her life, struggles, and achievements. Terrell also wrote fiction and poetry, and was active in the struggle for civil rights and women’s rights. This book is autographed by the author and dedicated to Toledoan Ella P. Stewart.

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Middle Shelf

Middle Shelf

New York the Nine Million and Other Poems

Martin, Herbert W. New York the Nine Million and Other Poems. Grand Rapids, MI: The Abra Cadabra Press, 1969

Herbert Woodward Martin is a UT graduate and a nationally known poet, as well as professor emeritus of English at the University of Dayton, where he spent over thirty years there as poet-in-residence. This work includes the introduction of Martin’s Antigone poems along with other poems previously published elsewhere, and is his first published book. It is signed by the author.

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Letter from Nikki Giovanni

Letter from Nikki Giovanni

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Negro Anthology, 1931-1933

Cunard, Nancy (ed.) Negro Anthology, 1931-1933. London: Wishart & Co., 1934

This work is an important encyclopedic compilation of African and African-American history and culture.

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Oak and Ivy

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. Oak and Ivy, Dayton, OH: Press of United Brethren Publishing House, 1893

Considered the first major African-American poet, Dunbar was born in Dayton and worked as a messenger and elevator operator while writing poetry in his spare time. Oak and Ivy is his first book of poems which, soon after its publication, caught the attention of two Toledoans, attorney Charles Thatcher and physician W.C. Chapman, who promoted Dunbar’s work. This copy includes an inscription to Thatcher by Dunbar.

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Sketches of Places and People Abroad

Brown, William Wells. Sketches of Places and People Abroad. Boston: Jewett, 1855, with a portrait of Wells.

One of the earliest works by African-American authors owned by the Canaday Center is this book by William Wells Brown, a self-educated fugitive slave active in the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activities. After the Civil War, he became a physician. Brown was the first black American to publish a novel, a play, and a travel book. Sketches is considered a key work in the history of African-American literature.

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Famous Negro Music Makers

Hughes, Langston. Famous Negro Music Makers. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1955

Often associated with the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes wrote poetry, novels, short stories, plays, and children’s books. Hughes’s works depicted the lives of black people at the lower end of the economic spectrum. His book Famous Negro Music Makers was part of the Famous Biographies for Young People series of books. This copy was signed by Hughes and dedicated to Lucille E. Goodloe.

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Belly Songs and Other Poems

Knight, Etheridge. Belly Songs and Other Poems. Detroit, MI: Broadside Press, 1973

Etheridge Knight began writing poetry while serving in prison. His book Belly Songs and Other Poems was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and this copy is a first edition signed by Knight.

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Paper plate poem

Paper plate poem

The Canaday Center also preserves the personal papers of Etheridge Knight (MSS-016.) Included in the collection is this poem written on a paper plate ca. 1975; and correspondence with Sonia Sanchez, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Herbert Woodward Martin.

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Bottom Shelf

Bottom shelf

Alliance Francaise of Toledo photographs and artifacts, 1972

Betty Mauk Papers, MSS-135. Alliance Francaise of Toledo Records, MSS-143. Photographs and Artifacts, 1972

Tireless advocate for Toledo’s riverfront and for French culture, Betty Mauk founded L’Alliance Francaise in 1964, which aimed to promote French language and culture. In 1972, she left a permanent mark on Toledo’s landscape by helping to found Promenade Park. The director of the Federation of Alliances Francaises awarded her an engraved medal by for making the best contribution by an American to promoting French culture.

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Betty Mauk receives medal

Betty Mauk receives medal

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Promenade Park, Toledo, on May 14, 1979

Promenade Park, Toledo, on May 14, 1979

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Journal and Photographs of Visit to South Africa, 1902

Gustavus Ohlinger Papers, MSS-013. Journal and Photographs of Visit to South Africa, 1902

During his travels to South Africa in late 1902, Toledo lawyer Gustavus Ohlinger took these photographs documenting the country at the end of the Boer War, including British Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain's visit to Johannesburg. Ohlinger's journal and photographs include his encounter with Chamberlain (who was also the mastermind of the war) in his journal, a visit to a refugee camp with Boer General Christian de Wet, and his encounter with the family of Boer General Koos de la Rey.

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Publications of the Paryski Publishing Company, 1909

Publications of the Paryski Publishing Company, 1909

The Paryski Publishing Company was founded in 1889 by Antoni A. Paryski (1865-1935), who was born in Bocheń, a village in Central Poland, and immigrated to the United States in 1883 to avoid political persecution. By the time of his death in 1935, he had published over 2,000 publications including 40 magazines in Polish for Polish communities. The Canaday Center preserves many of the publications of this important Toledo ethnic press. .

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A sketch of Hungarian Dancers

Steven Pecsenye Papers, MSS-084. Sketches of Hungarian Dancers, ca. 1960s-1970s

Steven Pecsenye was a second-generation Hungarian immigrant born in Toledo. He attended Macomber High School and studied at the Toledo Museum of Art before enlisting in the Army during World War II. He sent often humorous cartoons depicting his life as a soldier back to his family, and after the war, he continued to draw. For over 60 years, Pecsenye captured Hungarian life as it was related to him by his parents. He also illustrated a coloring book to preserve and pass on Hungarian traditions.

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Letters to Chandrasekhar from Indira Gandhi

Sripati Chandrasekhar Papers, MSS-189. Letters to Chandrasekhar from Indira Gandhi, 1968-1969

Dr. Sripati Chandrasekhar was an internationally known demographer and leader in the field of population control in his native India. As Indian Minister of Health and Family Planning from 1967-1970, he led an effort to reduce the rate of population growth in the country, promoting birth control, abortion, and voluntary sterilization. These three letters from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi point to the sensitivity of Chandrasekhar’s efforts, as Gandhi scolds him for some of his blunt talk and actions.

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Dagger, Miniature Sword, and Plate from Toledo, Spain

Association of Two Toledos Collection, MSS-071. Dagger, Miniature Sword, and Plate from Toledo, Spain, n.d.

These brass items are examples of artifacts that have been collected in Spain by the Association. The dagger and plate are decorated in 24 karat gold.

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Scrapbook Documenting Visit of Toledo, Ohio, Delegation to Spain in 1934

Association of Two Toledos Collection, MSS-071. Scrapbook Documenting Visit of Toledo, Ohio, Delegation to Spain, 1934

The Committee on Relations with Toledo, Spain, was established in 1931 through the efforts of University of Toledo President Henry Doermann, Russell G.C. Brown (a Spanish teacher at Waite and DeVilbiss high schools), and various individuals from Toledo, Spain. The first official delegation from Toledo, Ohio, visited their Spanish counterpart in 1934.

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Ella P. Stewart Papers, MSS-052. Scrapbook, “Around the World with Ella P. Stewart,” 1951-1986

Ella P. Stewart was a pharmacist and community leader in Toledo. In 1952, she served as a delegate to the International Conference of Women of the World, promoting peace and understanding with women of Asia. Later in her life, the United Nations recognized her as a commissioner for the U.N. Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and she traveled the world speaking out for peace and against discrimination. This unique scrapbook documents some of her world travels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrapbook, “Around the World with Ella P. Stewart,” 1951-1986

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