DANIEL A. P. MURRAY (1852-1925)... Librarian

5fish

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I found this Daniel A. Murry who worked at the Library of Congress and became famous for his knowledge of early Black Literature...

LINK: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/murray-daniel-p-1852-1925/

Daniel A. P. Murray was born on March 3, 1852 in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of nine he left Baltimore to live in Washington, D.C., where his brother managed the U.S. Senate restaurant. In 1871 Murray acquired a job as a personal assistant to the librarian of Congress, Ainsworth R. Spofford. Two years later, in 1881, he advanced to the assistant librarian of the Library of Congress, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1923.

Snip... I think the number of books found is huge... for back then... He owned a lot of books the question is how many did he read...

Murray’s first major project as assistant librarian was a special display on “Negro Literature” for the American Exhibit at the 1900 Paris Exposition. For this exhibit, and for future preservation at the Library of Congress, Murray searched for the title of every book or pamphlet known to be written by a person of African ancestry. After securing a list of 270 titles Murray appealed to others for help in the search. The response yielded 1,100 titles, 500 of which became the “Negro Literature” display at the Paris Exposition. Murray continued his pursuit for the works of black authors long after the end of this exposition. By 1907 he had accumulated a list of more than 12,000 books and pamphlets by black authors. He had also collected a personal library of 1,488 volumes, which he eventually donated to the Library of Congress to become the “Colored Author Collection.”

Snip...

As he continued to accumulate titles, Murray began to research the author’s personal lives as well. His compilation became “Bibliographia-Africana” and was intended to include all known literature by writers of African ancestry, including biographical information about them. Eventually he accumulated almost 500 biographical portraits of black historical figures. Although his book was never published, much of his research was published over time in the popular magazine Voice of the Negro. Because of his vast knowledge on the topic of Negro literature, Murray was often called upon for information, and gave lectures before historical literary societies. Occasionally he gave testimony before the U.S. Congress.

The link will also tell you about his Civil Rights activism...

 

5fish

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There is an audiobook about him... not pricy ...

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Bla...s=DANIEL+MURRAY&qid=1571177689&s=books&sr=1-1



Summary...

From New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Dowling Taylor comes this riveting chronicle of a critical yet overlooked chapter in American history: the inspiring rise and calculated fall of the black elite, from Emancipation through Reconstruction to the Jim Crow Era - embodied in the experiences of an influential figure of the time, academic, entrepreneur, and political activist and black history pioneer Daniel Murray.

This cultural biography tells the enthralling story of the high-achieving black elites who thrived in the nation's capital during Reconstruction. Daniel Murray (1851-1925), an assistant librarian at the Library of Congress, was a prominent member of this glorious class. Murray's life was reflective of those who were well-off at the time.

This social circle included African American educators, ministers, lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, US senators and representatives, and other government officials. Among the luminaries were Francis and Archibald Grimke, Blanche Bruce, Pinckney Pinchback, Robert and Mary Church Terrell, Booker T. Washington, and W. E. B. DuBois.

The elite were primed to assimilate into the cultural fabric as Americans first and people of color second. Education was a pearl of great pride, and they sent their children to the best schools - Phillips Academy, Cornell, and Harvard. They belonged to exclusive clubs, cultivated genteel manners, owned opulent homes, threw elaborate parties, dressed to the nines, and summered in special enclaves.

The rug was pulled from under all African Americans when they were betrayed by the federal government as the cost of reconciliation with the South. In response to renewed oppression, Murray and others in his class fought back, establishing themselves as inspiring race activists.

Elizabeth Dowling Taylor's powerful work brings to light a dark chapter of race relations that too many have yet to own.
 
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