This collection contains letters and printed material relating to African American artist Allan R. Crite. Included are an illustrated letter from Crite to Roslyn Walker, February 27, 1972; an illustrated New Year's greeting, 1972; three pamphlets by Crite, "Towards a Rediscovery of the Cultural Heritage of the United States" (1968), "The Nativity of Jesus Christ La Natividad de Jesucristo," illustrated and hand-colored (1969), and "Is it Nothing to You?" (1948) illustrated and signed by Crite 1980. There is also a copy of an article by Crite, "Why I Illustrate the Spirituals," World Horizons magazine, May 1938.
Biographical / Historical:
Roslyn A. Walker was director of the National Museum of African American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Walker collected material relating to painter and printmaker Allan R. Crite (1910- 2007).
Allan Rohan Crite (1910-2007) was an African American painter and printmaker in Boston, Massachusetts. Crite is best known for his religious illustrations, but also chronicled African American life in Boston in the 1930s-1940s. During the Depression, Crite developed a series of "neighborhood paintings" insprired by Boston's African American community.
Provenance:
Donated 2016 by Roslyn A. Walker.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
