The James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection includes various materials documenting 20th century African American travel and tourism, including examples of the well-known Negro Motorist Green Book, and other travelers’ guides, vacation promotional materials, and buyers’ guides. Related materials include a growing collection documenting the Idlewild, Michigan, resort community–including maps, printed ephemera, postcards, photographs.
Descriptive records can be found in in Orbis (http://neworbis.library.yale.edu/vwebv/).
Travel and Tourism Guides – Collection Highlights
Travelers’ green book. , New York: Victor H. Green, 1957, 1961
Call Number: JWJ A T6972
A. B. Stewart’s national travelers guide … 5th ed, [Los Angeles], c1940
Call Number: ACC 33123
The Negro traveler., Chicago, Ill. : Travelers Research Pub. Co., [1944]
Call Number: JWJ A +N343
Bronze American national travel guide 1961-62
Call Number: ACC 36131
Go, guide to pleasant motoring, Washington, D.C., 1954
Call Number: ACC 47792
Black buyer’s guide to stores and services in Philadelphia, 1968
Call Number: ACC 9809
A. G. Gaston Mogel. The nation’s newest & finest motel …Folding mailer addressed in ms. to Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Stevens. Caption title: A. G. Gaston. Achievement in one stop relaxed living. A motel designed with a traveler’s comfort in mind. Chicago, 1956
Call Number: ACC 42423
Official guide to Harlem. Gate-way to the World’s Fair. 1939
Call Number: ACC 35399
Idlewild Materials – Collection Highlights
Idlewilder’s magazine, Idlewild, MI, 18 Jul [1958].
Call Number: ACC 13931
[Group of eleven real photo postcards, depicting views of the Idlewild, Michigan Resort] [1930s-1950s]
Call Number: JWJ.Zan.C684.930C
[Group of eleven (11) real photo postcards, depicting views of the Idlewild, Michigan resort community spanning the 1920-s-1950’s]
1) Hotel, Idlewild Club, Idlewild, Mich. Inscribed to Miss Ruth Johnson from Mr. & Mrs. C. Higgins.
2) Idlewild terrace home of I. Miller. Inscribed to Mr. and Mrs. Winter from Orial Taylor.
3) Idlewild Lake, Idlewild, Mich. M611. Inscribed to Miss Joyce and Ruth Johnson from Mrs. Venlet.
4) Baptist church, Idlewild, Mich. Inscribed to Velma Reese from Alta Stephenson.
5) Miller’s grocery, Idlewild, Mich. T-593.
6) Pendleton’s, Idlewild, Mich. T-594.
7) Lu-Milt cottage. Idlewild, Mich. S-928.
8) Dead End cottage. Mrs. Geo. Jones. Idlewild, Mich. E-1353.
9) Clubhouse from the water. Idlewild, Mich. 1-.
10) The club house. Idlewild, Mich.
11) “Anderwild”, Idlewild, Mich.
Call Number: ACC 33143
Genuine photographs. Idlewild, Michigan. ca. 1950 (Set includes: Lake of the woods, S-920, 2; Idlewild Lake, 2-A-304; Idlewild Lake, T-601; Idlewild Lake, T-587; Idlewild Lake, M629; The kids proudly display their catch, T-589; Vacation sesaon in Idlewild, Mich. 2-A-306; Fiesta room. Paradise Garden, T599; Vacation season in Idlewild, Mich. 2-A-305; Idlewild Lake, S-927.)
Call Number: ACC 33210
Paradise Garden Fiesta Room: the show place of the nation. Idlewild, Michigan. Phone 9021 [1940s] (Original drink menu from the Paradise Garden Fiesta Room, at the African-American resort community of Idlewild, Michigan).
Call Number: ACC 40701
1 photograph album containing 54 black and white silver print photographs of an unidentified family on vacation, including scenes of Idlewild, Michigan
Call Number: JWJ MSS 70
1 black and white photograph of an unidentified boy and an unidentified girl, [ca. 1950s]
Call Number: ACC 2009.jwj.27151
L. L. Cook photographic postcard of Idlewild
Call Number: ACC 2012.jwj.9
Photographic postcard of Idlewild, Mich., Sleeping cottages, Idlewild Club, Idlewild, Mich.: 1 black and white photographic postcard by unidentified photographer.
Call Number: ACC 2012.jwj.10
Idlewild: no. 3; part of section no. 7. Township no. 17. North range 12 west. Lake Co. Mich., [ca. 1919] (Caption title from property blueprint)
Call Number: ACC 35955
Map of Idlewild, Lake Co. Mich., [Idlewild Resort Co.], [ca. 1910’s?] (Caption title from map.)
Call Number: ACC 35956