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Exterior view of the African Meetinghouse, Boston, Mass., 1935

Description

A sign in Hebrew letters and in English on the wall of the African Meetinghouse, located on Smith Court in Boston Massachusetts, indicates that the building is the synagogue of the Congregation Libavitz. "At the end of the 19th century, when the Black community began to migrate from the West End to the South End and Roxbury, the building was sold to a Jewish congregation. It served as a synagogue until it was acquired by the Museum of African American History in 1972" (Museum of African American History website). A cat sits on the wall facing the sidewalk.

Details

Descriptive Terms

religious buildings
synagogues (buildings)
meeting houses (religious buildings)
exterior views
photographs
black-and-white prints (photographs)

Additional Identification Number

DigitalID 001510
AccessID 2431
Other identifier HNEDID-001510

Physical Description

1 photographic print : black-and-white

Collection Code

PC001

Collection Name

General photographic collection

Reference Code

PC001.02.01.USMA.0340.7300.002

Places

Beacon Hill (Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts) [neighborhood]
Boston (Suffolk county, Massachusetts)

Record Details

Originator

Haskell, Arthur C. (Arthur Cushman), 1890-1968 (Photographer)

Material Type

photographs
black-and-white prints (photographs)

Other Organizations

Congregation Libavitz

Subjects

African Americans
Smith Court (Boston, Mass.)
Jews United States
Architectural photography
Black People

Description Level

Item

Location Note

Geo.: Large: Mass.: Boston: Smith Court: Unmounted

Historical/Biographical Note

Sources


Museum of African American History website, http://www.afroammuseum.org/site14.htm, accessed 2010-07-08.
Horton, James Oliver. Landmarks of African American History, 57-8.

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