Central Avenue and Beyond/RIP Mayme Clayton

During the 1920s and 30s, the Harlem Renaissance saw a flourishing of African American literature, art, music, and social commentary. Scores of gifted black composers, artists, and writers, including many who had fled the racism of the South, moved to Harlem and other cities across the nation. And even, especially, to Paris (i.e., Josephine Baker). In Los Angeles, a vibrant scene of jazz clubs, literary societies, and concert venues sprung up around Central Aveneu, a main artery that run's through the heart of South LA (think Devil in a Blue Dress starring Denzel Washington).

The late Mayme Clayton spent much of her life collecting pieces of this black history... and storing it away in a tiny garage behind her house (http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/21/local/me-clayton21). Her extensive collection is believed to be the largest personal collection of black history ever, and is now being displayed in a museum named in her honor. The Huntington Museum in Pasadena borrowed a handful of items that had never before been publicly displayed and I got to see them before the Clayton Museum opened its doors (I think they're open now. It's in Culver City, CA) I didn't want to leave the museum that day :)

I wasn't supposed to take pictures of this exhibit so I didn't get many but check it out (Edit: I have to fix these pics because for some reason the links are working. Sorry):