Opening Night Party & Preview of “Gay Harlem Renaissance” at the New York Historical – Resilience And Creativity Shine
“And now we all have a chance to step into a Harlem that was dazzlingly alive with beauty, intellect, intimacy and pride.” (Elizabeth Alexander, Poet, Scholar, and President of the Mellon Foundation)
Featured Image: Carla R. Stewart on vocals; photos courtesy of Liliana Hetherman and Margaret Hetherman
“I hope this exhibition will convey the expansiveness and significance of Black queer creativity, struggle and joy a century ago,” George Chauncey, Historian and Author of Gay New York said to an enthusiastic crowd at the “The Gay Harlem Renaissance” preview Thursday night. Exuberance was the mood as hundreds gathered to ring in the 2.5 year curatorial undertaking that showcases gems ranging from Mabel Hampton’s 1932 rent party ticket to the fur coat belonging to legenday salon host and patron, A’Lelia Walker (with great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles in the house).
Harlem in the 20’s was animated by political struggle against systemic racial discrimination, Chauncey noted, but also animated by prohibition: “The neighborhood’s glamorous nightclubs were so lively that people sometimes called Harlem the Paris of New York.”
Image courtesy of The New York Historical
The pre-party presentation was capped off by a multi-instrument blues extravaganza celebrating queer themes and coded language. Pianist Gary Mitchell Jr. treated all to original transcriptions of Harlem blues songs derived from old records, and a Cole Porter mashup. Monica Miller, Chair and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University summed it up: “These songs are sung with a boldness and in a badass style, creating a wonderful tension between what they are revealing and what they are concealing.”
Flapper vibes and a whole lot of joy were in the air as celebrants took a century-step backward to pay tribute to this exquisite era.
