Research Catalog

Title

Canada Lee photograph collection [graphic].

Author

Lee, Canada.

Publication

[190?]-[195-]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Antonelli, Steven.
• Benton, S. H.
• Blechman, Marcus.
• Bryant, I.
• Campbell, James.
• Colwell, Larry.
• Fehl, Fred.
• Garber, Morris.
• Hauser, Al.
• Henle, Fritz, 1909-1993.
• Jackson, Ray Lee.
• Kanarian, Charles.
• Kaye, Ethel.
• MacAulay, Arthur.
• Merrill, Helen.
• Oppenheimer, Carl.
• Parks, Gorden.
• Pries, Ethel.
• Schick, Jules.
• Shain, Mac A.
• Sherman, Editta.
• Smith, Morgan, 1910-1993.
• Steiner, A.
• Tucker, Richard.
• Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964.
• Apeda Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• Arsene Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• Bloom (Chicago, Il.)
• Bruno of Hollywood (New York, N.Y.)
• Chrisholm (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
• Gordon Conner Studio (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Graphic House (New York, N.Y.)
• J. E. Cyrus Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• M. Smith (New York, N.Y.)
• Our World Photos (New York, N.Y.)
• Parker Studios (New York, N.Y.)
• Pollard (New York, N.Y)
• Speed Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Found In

p1tc Lee, Canada. Canada Lee papers, 1940-1973 (CStRLIN)NYPW088000017-A

Description

• 1215 items (7.5 lin. ft., 8 boxes); 36 x 28 cm. and smaller.
• 31 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ;
• 307 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ;
• 408 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ;
• 450 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b&w ;
• 9 photographic postcards : silver gelatin, b&w ; 14 x 9 cm. and smaller.
• 8 negatives : silver gelatin, b&w ;
• 2 contact sheets : silver gelatin, b&w ;

Summary

The Canada Lee Photograph Collection documents portions of actor Canada Lee's personal life, professional career and civic activities.

Donor/Sponsor

Schomburg NEH Blacks on Stage: African-American Theater Arts Collections Project.

Alternative Title

• Anna Lucasta.
• Body and Soul.
• Cry, the beloved country.
• Destination freedom.
• The Duchess of Malfi.
• George Washington Carver.
• Let Freedom Ring.
• Lost boundaries.
• Lifeboat.
• MacBeth.
• Native son.
• Nine September.
• Othello, the Moor of Venice.
• Set my people free.
• Stop the record.
• The tempest.

Subject

• Lee, Canada
• Lee, Canada > Performances > 1930-1959
• Anderson, Thomas
• Bankhead, Tallulah, 1902-1968 > Performances > 1940-1949
• Barthé, Richmond, 1901-1989
• Bendix, William, 1906-1964 > Performances > 1940-1949
• Blanche, Wilbert
• Carey, Archibald J. 1908-1981
• Carson, Charles, 1885-1977 > Performances > 1950-1959
• Clark, Howard
• Conn, Billy, 1917-
• Cronym, Hume > Performances > 1940-1949
• Dodson, Owen, 1914-1983
• Goodliffe, Michael > Performances > 1950-1959
• Granger, Lester B. 1886-1976
• Greaves, William
• Hammerstein, Oscar, II, 1895-1960
• Harriman, Florence Jaffay Hurst, 1870-
• Hernandez, Juano > Performances > 1940-1949
• Hill, Juanita
• Hodiak, John > Performances > 1940-1949
• Honora, Louis
• Horne, Lena
• Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967
• Hull, Henry, 1890-1977 > Performances > 1940-1949
• Konoco, Lou
• Labigne, Thomas
• LeNoire, Rosetta, 1911-2002
• Massey, Ilona, 1910-1974
• Meadows, Audrey
• Michael, Lionel
• Moss, Arnold, 1910-1989
• Mukei, Marido
• Ngakane, Lionel > Performances > 1950-1959
• Pearson, Frances Lee, 1919-
• Persadh, Bobby Harry
• Perez, Augustin
• Poitier, Sidney > Performances > 1950-1959
• Rivers, Francis E., 1893-1975
• Robson, Flora, 1902-1984
• Simms, Hilda, 1918-1994 > Performances > 1940-1949
• Smith, Mildred > Performances > 1940-1949
• Tewba, Albertina
• Timmons, Rodester
• Warren, Lloyd
• Wilkie, H. Francis
• Zorina, Vera > Performances > 1940-1949
• Negro Theatre Project
• WPA Federal Theatre
• African American actors
• African American motion picture actors and actresses
• African Americans in the performing arts
• African American boxers
• Boxers (Sports)
• Apartheid > South Africa
• Africa > Women

Genre/Form

• Publicity photographs – 1960-1989.
• Portrait photographs – 1960-1989.
• Group portraits – 1960-1989.
• Gelatin silver prints – 1900-1959.
• Contact sheets – 1900-1959.
• Gelatin silver film negatives – 1900-1959.
• Inscriptions – 1900-1959.
• Autographs – 1900-1959.

Note

• Title devised by cataloger.
• Some photographs bear photographer's or photography studio's handstamp on verso; some photographs bear photographer's or photography studio's blind stamp on recto. Some items are signed or hand printed on the recto. Some images have captions on recto and/or verso. Some photographs are inscribed. Some items are matted, others are mounted. Some images have cropping marks; some items are duplicates.
• Collection includes work by Fritz Henle, Ethel Pries, Carl Van Vechten and others.

Biography (note)

• Canada Lee was a renowned stage and screen actor whose human right activities caused him to be blacklisted in the early 1950s.

Linking Entry (note)

• Forms part of the Canada Lee Papers, 1940-1973.

Call Number

Sc Photo Canada Lee Collection

OCLC

NYPG99-F1013

Author

Lee, Canada.

Title

Canada Lee photograph collection [graphic].

Imprint

[190?]-[195-]

Biography

Canada Lee was a renowned stage and screen actor whose human right activities caused him to be blacklisted in the early 1950s. Born Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata in New York City in 1907, Lee was a violinist, racehorse jockey, and bandleader, as well as a title-winning boxer before turning to acting. He was first associated with the WPA Negro Theatre Project where he appeared as Banquo in "MacBeth" (1936). Lee later rose to stardom, achieving tremondous success on Broadway in the role of Bigger Thomas in Orson Welles' production of "Native Son" (1940-41) and won Broadway's highest acting honor at the time, the Critic's Award, for best performance of 1941. Lee later went to Hollywood to appear in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film "Lifeboat." Returning to the New York stage, Lee appeared in "Anna Lucasta" (1944-45), "The Tempest" (1945) and "Set My People Free" (1948). Lee also narrated radio broadcasts including "New World A-Coming." In 1946, Lee became possibly the first African-American actor to appear on a Broadway stage in a white role with his performance, in white makeup, in "The Duchess of Malfi."

Lee used his celebrity status in the political arena, lobbying Congress on human rights issues. This later was turned against him when he was labeled a communist during the McCarthy era and was subsequently blacklisted by the entertainment industry. Unable to find work in the United States, Lee went to South Africa to make "Cry, The Beloved Country." Though the movie, which premiered in the United States in January 1952, enjoyed tremendous success, Lee was still blacklisted and unable to find work in the United States. In 1952, Lee began work on an Italian movie production, "Othello, the Moor of Venice," which was left unfinished when he died of complications from heart disease on May 9, 1952 in New York City.

Linking Entry

Forms part of the Canada Lee Papers, 1940-1973.

Local Note

Sc MG 471

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

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Added Author

Antonelli, Steven. Photographer

Benton, S. H. Photographer

Blechman, Marcus. Photographer

Bryant, I. Photographer

Campbell, James. Photographer

Colwell, Larry. Photographer

Fehl, Fred. Photographer

Garber, Morris. Photographer

Hauser, Al. Photographer

Henle, Fritz, 1909-1993. Photographer

Jackson, Ray Lee. Photographer

Kanarian, Charles. Photographer

Kaye, Ethel. Photographer

MacAulay, Arthur. Photographer

Merrill, Helen. Photographer

Oppenheimer, Carl. Photographer

Parks, Gorden. Photographer

Pries, Ethel. Photographer

Schick, Jules. Photographer

Shain, Mac A. Photographer

Sherman, Editta. Photographer

Smith, Morgan, 1910-1993. Photographer

Steiner, A. Photographer

Tucker, Richard. Photographer

Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964. Photographer

Apeda Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Arsene Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Bloom (Chicago, Il.)

Bruno of Hollywood (New York, N.Y.)

Chrisholm (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Gordon Conner Studio (Cleveland, Ohio)

Graphic House (New York, N.Y.)

J. E. Cyrus Studio (New York, N.Y.)

M. Smith (New York, N.Y.)

Our World Photos (New York, N.Y.)

Parker Studios (New York, N.Y.)

Pollard (New York, N.Y)

Speed Studio (New York, N.Y.)

Added Title

Anna Lucasta.

Body and Soul.

Cry, the beloved country.

Destination freedom.

The Duchess of Malfi.

George Washington Carver.

Let Freedom Ring.

Lost boundaries.

Lifeboat.

MacBeth.

Native son.

Nine September.

Othello, the Moor of Venice.

Set my people free.

Stop the record.

The tempest.

Found In:

p1tc Lee, Canada. Canada Lee papers, 1940-1973 (CStRLIN)NYPW088000017-A

Research Call Number

Sc Photo Canada Lee Collection