Science, Technology

June 28, 2017
March is National Engineering

Mann0001Business Reference is often asked for information about older or defunct businesses and finding any information can be challenging. But it is even harder to research businesses that were owned and operated by African Americans.

While some business directory publishers may have denoted those businesses in some way, that wasn’t always the case. Recently I found a gem in our collection of New York City business directories. It is a tiny (2.75” x 4.75”) directory from July 1904 titled Mann’s Afro-American Business Directory. It was published by E.M. (Edward M.) Mann, located at 187 St. Nicholas Avenue, and cost 10 cents. The object of the directory was:

to produce a periodical adapted to the practical use and advantage of the Colored business and professional world, that they may form a general acquaintance and finally know their intellectual and their commercial worth.

Most of the entries for individual businesses were modest and included only a name, location, and what the business was or what service it provided. There were listings for every type of business one could think of from embalmers and turners, to insurance companies, moving companies, tailors/dress makers, liquor stores, grocers, doctors, churches, political clubs, carpet layers, stenographers, locksmiths, upholsterers, lawyers, hatters/milliners, orchestras, barbers/hairdressers, and more.

However, some businesses provided a bit more information. One caught my eye because it occupied one whole side of the back cover – the Afro-American Realty Company at 115 Broadway. As to be expected, they gave their address, but they also gave the names of several of the company officers: James C. Thomas (President), Philip A. Payton, Jr. (Vice President, General Manager), James E. Garner (Secretary, Treasurer), and Wilfred H. Smith (Attorney). The company even took the opportunity to look for investors – advertising shares at $10 for what the company thought was “a Good, Safe and Paying INVESTMENT For Members of Our Race.”

MannspageThere is actually quite a bit of information on the Afro-American Realty Company. The New York Times published a nice article on June 6, 2004 “A Neighborhood of Their Own” about the company and Philip Payton – often dubbed the Father of Harlem – and their place in Harlem history. I also found a number of articles in the New York Times from around the time the directory was published, indicating that the firm was not one that the New York Times approved of. By far the most interesting article I found about the company was one written by Mr. Payton himself in the November 1904 Colored American Magazine. The article delved into the business, but it was the photographs included that really gave a sense of the company. There were photographs of the people – Mr. Payton on the cover- as well as images of the officers and directors and photographs of the buildings that the company owned/leased in the article itself. An entry about Mr. Payton in The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race and a chapter in Booker T. Washington’s provided more information on the man himself.

Unfortunately, I could only find the 1904 edition in our collection. I am not sure exactly how long the Afro-American Business Directory was published, although I did see an entry in the Catalog of Copyright Entries in 1909 and indication of a copy from 1913.

This is a guest post from one of our new Business Reference librarians Yvonne Dooley. She will be joining the Inside Adams blog team so be on the look-out for her posts! Every year when February rolls around, I always look forward to browsing and selecting Valentine’s Day cards for family and friends. I fondly […]

india inside us india zodiac india from above india pro volleyball league india ka match india by train indiana jones 5 india house india from nxivm air india thru check in india about pakistan india ink india walton husband passage thru india bukit damansara india batson india versus england test india behind threat india pro or anti natalist india about in hindi india yuridia tour 2021 india after imperialism india like countries india till 2023 schedule does pakistan border india invesco india contra fund direct growth opposite of india flag india over europe india without kashmir casio beside india india without kashmir india around country india lil durk india among world within india courier india by election 2021 india during ww2 india zodiac sign india visa status india time now india news latest india in olympics india etf india against propaganda tweets india yuridia india against pakistan india out of world cup india first language india imports india with pakistan map india queen india about in hindi india british colony until 1947 not india but bharat india for everyone
Source: blogs.loc.gov
RELATED VIDEO
Science, technology and medicine honoured at The European
Science, technology and medicine honoured at The European ...
Science, Technology Society Degree at the School of
Science, Technology Society Degree at the School of ...

RELATED FACTS
Share this Post
latest post
follow us