As Seen in the Collections: Caribbean Carnival as Anticolonial Resistance

For centuries, much of the Caribbean’s visual culture has been envisioned and documented from an outsider perspective, with early colonial print and photography producing images that were often deeply exploitative. In the face of such distortion and caricature, what counternarratives can be found? Join the Schomburg’s Photographs and Prints Division as we view and engage with materials from our collection that highlight visual representations of the Caribbean and its diaspora, ranging from the 19th century to the present day. Together, we will examine these historical and contemporary archival materials through the lens of carnival, a longstanding tradition rooted in anticolonial resistance that, similar to the West Indies as a whole, has had its revolutionary origins diluted over time.

The session will take place in the Reading Room of Photographs & Prints Division.

Header Image: Prints Collection, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. After Melton Prior, “Carnival in Port of Spain, Trinidad,” engraving, The Illustrated London News, 1888. New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.

The Photographs and Prints Division enables researchers to work directly with original, rare, and unique visual source materials documenting the history and culture of people of African descent worldwide. Beginning with engravings collected by Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the collection has grown over the years to include more than 1,000,000 photographs and prints dating from the eighteenth century to the present. With photography constituting the bulk of the division’s collections, all major photographic technologies are represented. The collections are particularly strong in the genres of documentary and photojournalism. Holdings in fine art and vernacular photography are represented as well.

Space is limited. Attendees must check their bag and coat to enter the research divisions.

This year, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding! Join us all year long for a wide array of special events, exhibitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone and continue the legacy of Arturo Schomburg.

Schomburg100 | Exhibition | Special-Edition Library Card | Become a Member

#SchomburgLive

__________________________

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. We generally overbook to ensure a full house.

GUESTS Please note there is no food or drinks allowed in the research divisions at the Schomburg Center and all guests must check their bags and coats to enter the divisions.

ACCESSIBLILITY Accessibility requests can be made by e-mail [email protected].

E-TRANSPORTATION NYPL policy prohibits electric transportation devices (e.g., motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) from being brought into or stored at library sites for any length of time, as this is the best way to keep our spaces & people safe.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

PRESS Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Leah Drayton at [email protected].

Please note that personal and professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture - New York Public Library, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Get App