1932 Illustrated Map of Harlem's Night Clubs: From Cotton Club to Savoy Ballroom
Elmer Simms Campbell's 1932 illustrated map of Harlem's nightlife captures the essence of the jazz age, initially created as endpapers for Cab Calloway's memoir 'Of Minnie the Moocher and Me.' It highlights iconic spots such as the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom, along with over 500 speakeasies from the Prohibition era. As the first African-American cartoonist featured in The New Yorker, Campbell creatively rearranged the geography, placing clubs closer together with Central Park positioned at the top. To experience the actual nightlife, one would need to walk 21 blocks from Central Park to 131st Street. A nod to Earl 'Snakehips' Tucker is evident with a vendor selling reefer nearby. Open Culture's article includes a video of Calloway's 1935 performance and discusses Harlem Renaissance themes.
Key facts
- The map was created by Elmer Simms Campbell in 1932.
- It highlights Harlem's night clubs including the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom.
- The map includes over 500 speakeasies from the Prohibition era.
- Campbell was the first African-American cartoonist published nationally in The New Yorker, Playboy, and Esquire.
- The map served as endpapers for Cab Calloway's autobiography 'Of Minnie the Moocher and Me'.
- The map is not drawn to scale and features a non-standard compass rose.
- Campbell moved to New York City from the Midwest due to racial barriers.
- A video of Cab Calloway performing at the Cotton Club in 1935 is included in the article.
Entities
Artists
- Elmer Simms Campbell
- Cab Calloway
- Earl 'Snakehips' Tucker
Institutions
- Cotton Club
- Savoy Ballroom
- The New Yorker
- Playboy
- Esquire
- Open Culture
- Big Think
Locations
- Harlem
- New York City
- Central Park
- Seventh Avenue
- Lenox Avenue
- Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard
- Malcolm X Boulevard
- 131st Street
- 110th Street