MXB Virtual Tour - New York City Department of City Planning

Department of City Planning - "Shaping the City's Future"

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Projects & Proposals > Manhattan > Virtual Tour of Malcolm X Boulevard

Archived Content

This page describes Malcolm X Boulevard as it appeared in 2001. The tour was developed as part of the Malcolm X Boulevard Streetscape Enhancement Project. These pages are no longer being updated.

49. Schomburg Library Historic Area West 135th to West 136th Streets, from Malcolm X Blvd. to Adam C. Powell Blvd.
The original library, designed to loosely resemble San Michele's Palazzo Canossa in Verona, was built in 1905 to house the collection of Arthur Schomburg, a Puerto Rican of African descent who built an outstanding collection in black history. In 1978, the building was renovated by Bond Ryder Associates as part of a modern three-building complex which includes a state of the art auditorium, expanded research facilities, a gift shop featuring African cards, jewelry, art, etc. and galleries for the preservation and display of its extensive and ever-growing collections. Today, the Schomburg Center's collection contains more than 3.5 million items, ranging from rare manuscripts and books by famous black writers to oral recordings, films and videotapes. Many renowned scholars and public figures such as W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ralph Bunche and Ralph Ellison have participated in programs sponsored by the Schomburg Center.
Return to 133rd - 139th Streets Index Map Return to the Start of the Malcolm X Boulevard Tour