User:Dsavageatosu/blaircaldwellsandbox

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Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library
The library in Five Points, Denver.
Map
39°45′09″N 104°58′53″W / 39.7524°N 104.9815°W / 39.7524; -104.9815
Location2401 Welton Street
Denver CO 80205, United States
TypePublic library and research library
Established2003
Branch ofDenver Public Library
Collection
Items collectedAll formats
Access and use
Population servedFive Points neighborhood
Other information
Websiteaarl.denverlibrary.org

The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library is a branch of the Denver Public Library in Denver, Colorado, in the United States that serves the Five Points neighborhood. It is also a research library with collections focusing on the history of African Americans in Denver and the American West

History[edit]

The library was conceived by Denver's first African American mayor, Wellington Webb, and his wife Wilma Webb, who observed that the history of African-Americans in Denver and the American West was under-represented. The library was envisioned in 1999 and designated the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library in honor of Omar Blair and Elvin Caldwell. Omar Blair was the first black president of the Denver school board, Elvin Caldwell was the first black City Council member. Former Mayor Wellington Webb and First Lady Wilma Webb envisioned a research library and museum to preserve and showcase the many contributions to Colorado and the west by African Americans. This history which was largely held in the hands of political leaders, community organizations, churches and individuals and some history was completely unwritten and dwelled in the hearts in mind of those people who lived it. Before groundbreaking took place in 2002, in 2000 the Denver Public Library had engaged consultants and advisory committee from the community to plan the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and Library staff began collecting personal and professional papers, publications, photographs, works of art and other memorabilia of distinguished African Americans from all walks of life.

Omar Blair[edit]

Omar Blair held a legacy of first's. He served as a Captain in the Tuskegee Airmen and was a hero for saving the lives of his men. His squadron was sent on a mission to escort the bombers over Berlin. However, Blair's men were not outfitted with large enough fuel tanks to make the round trip. It was a suicide mission. Blair managed to locate and commandeer larger fuel tanks so that his men could make it home. Blair settled in Denver after the war and became the first black president of the Denver school board.[1]

Elvin Caldwell[edit]

Elvin Caldwell

Being the first black City Council member, Elvin Caldwell played a major roll in policy making in Colorado. He started his political career after achieving goals in accounting and business in 1950 at the Colorado House of Representatives. He made many strides in order to create a better community for Colorado's African Americans. One of his most notable victories was Colorado's first Fair Employment Practices Act, allowing nonwhites to serves as judges and be promoted in the police force. A year before his passing in 2004 the creation of the Blair-Caldwell African American Research library was finished.[2]

Architecture[edit]

The 40,000 square foot Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, the 20th branch of the Denver Public Library system, was the design of Denver’s OZ Architecture and Harold Massop Associates Architects. Its design is modeled after Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel in Florence, Italy[3]. The library contains three floors: The first level is a full-service branch library of the Denver Public Library with an entry gallery and exhibition areas; conference, meeting, and study rooms; and a collection of more than 35,000 books, magazines, and audiovisual materials in English and Spanish. The second level houses collection archives and a research library including video and audio histories and listening and viewing areas; papers and doctoral theses on microfilm; a research area and study space; archival storage space; and a gallery for programs by musicians, artists, and scholars. The third level is a museum that houses exhibits about the history of African Americans in Denver and in the Western United States.

Construction[edit]

The Library building features a brick veneer construction and two large bas relief and bronze sculptures on the front façade along Welton Street. These Two 15-foot bronze and mosaic reliefs were designed to represent the noble strength, bearing and pioneer spirit of African American men and women in the West. These sculptures were designed by artist Thomas Jay Warren.

Collections[edit]

The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library houses many permanent and rotating exhibits including include the desk that Wellington Webb used during his term as Denver's mayor.[4]

  • Elvin R. Caldwell Papers – The Elvin R. Caldwell papers span the years 1950 to 2002. The papers comprise correspondence, campaign literature, photographs, newspaper clippings, articles and publications that record Caldwell's time as a Colorado State Representative, Denver City Council member and Denver Manager of Safety. It also contains photographs and material from the many clubs and groups of which Caldwell was an active member. There is a rich series of photographs that illustrate his years spent in the City of Denver's Department of Safety.[5]
  • Omar Blair Papers – The Omar Blair papers contain pages from the Blair family scrapbooks, personal papers, and videotapes. The collection includes information on the Tuskegee Airmen, the Denver Board of Education, and Martin Luther King memorabilia. A large section of the material documents the Martin Luther King Day Celebration of 1986. This collection is a valuable resource for understanding the black perspective in Colorado from the 1970's to the 1990's.[6]
  • Genealogy at the library- the library also offers an area dedicated to genealogy and offers many different tools to help learn more about personal history. While the library is dedicated to African American history in the west the library also offers bibliographies for many different races. The library also has classes to help learn more about how to do your own genealogy and also offers guides with obituaries and place names that may be link to your personal history.
  • The Western Legacies Museum and Exhibit Space is housed on the third level of the library. It contains 7,000 square feet of permanent exhibits including:
    • Earliest Arrival of Africans in America - This exhibit focuses on how Africans arrived in the American West, the contributions they made, and there personal and varied stories. Highlighted is the story of Esteban, A Moroccan slave who arrived with the Spaniards in the 1500's.
    • Five Points and Welton Street - Segregation laws and restrictive covenants prohibited African Americans from living in Denver. The Five Points neighborhood was free from segregation laws. As more blacks moved into the community, more white's moved out. Five Points grew to become a thriving self sufficient community. The exhibit contains artifacts from the many shops and entertainment venues that lined Welton Street.
    • The Story of the Smith Family - The Smith family left a legacy that spanned from Virginia to Colorado. It all started with Robert and Sarah, both born as slaves. Robert was able to buy their freedom with the money he had earned as a barber. Their incredible journey is told through family photographs and memorabilia.

Research Guides[edit]

The Library contains several African American focused research guides and several focused on Colorado genealogy and history.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "GENTLEMAN, SCHOLAR, AIRMAN, HERO CAPT. OMAR D. BLAIR (1918 – 2004)". Fairmount Heritage Foundation. Retrieved November 12, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ yongli (2017-05-02). "Elvin R. Caldwell". coloradoencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  3. ^ https://denverarchitecture.org/event/blair-caldwell-african-american-research-library/
  4. ^ Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library of the Denver Public Library. Library brochure of the Denver Public Library, 2005.
  5. ^ https://www.loc.gov/folklife/civilrights/survey/view_collection.php?coll_id=1027
  6. ^ "Omar Blair Papers" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[edit]


Category:Library buildings completed in 2003 Category:Education in Denver Category:Public libraries in Colorado Category:Buildings and structures in Denver Category:Museums in Denver Category:African-American history of Colorado Category:African-American museums in the United States Category:History museums in Colorado Category:Five Points, Denver

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