FLY BALL: Vintage Snapshots of Black Athletes by Morgan & Marvin Smith

This year’s Photoville outdoor banner exhibition—hosted at St. Nicholas Park and Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem from June - September, 2024—takes a look at the photography of Morgan and Marvin Smith.

Identical twin brothers, Morgan and Marvin Smith actively documented Harlem during the mid-20th century. Born on February 16, 1910 in Nicholasville, KY, they moved to New York City to pursue careers in photography and attended artist development classes taught by renowned sculptor, Augusta Savage. They went on to own a landmark photography studio next to the Apollo Theater on 125th Street.

Of the thousands of photographs and prints by the Smith brothers in the Schomburg Center’s collections, this exhibition highlights a brief survey of sports snapshots from the 1930s–1950s. From American Negro League baseball team players sliding into home plate to collegiate star-athlete footballers dodging tackles across the field, these photographs document a pivotal era in American sports history.

This exhibition was curated by the Schomburg Center’s Digital Curator, Kimberly Annece Henderson, and features writer and cultural critic Bradford William Davis, who shares his site-specific response to this year’s selection of sports action snapshots: 

You wouldn’t be here unless you were ready to ball. But before you walked through these familiar chain links, something about the photos to your left and right caught your eye. We think we know why. 

Each picture you pass on your way to the courts and fields—carefully chosen and curated by Kimberly Henderson, Digital Curator at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture—isn’t just a snapshot in stunning black and white. 

It’s a story. And you get to author the next page.

We invite you to build upon this brilliant past and usher in a bold new future with your own game. Your diving stops, bat cracks, high cheese, dishes, swishes, spins, spirals, serves, volleys, and voracious leaps at the warning track stretch beyond today’s boxscore or bragging rights.

Smile nice and wide because one day, somebody will be combing through your candids and action poses, admiring the style, hustle, and finesse worthy of the yard. 

So, this time before you ball, savor it. As you dig in your kicks and crease your cleats, let your steps be a reminder of those who came before. 

Welcome and play ball.

Rest in peace to the legendary center fielder, Willie Mays, who died on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The record-breaking Alabama native quickly became an all-star after his 1948 introduction into the American Negro Leagues, just before joining Major League Baseball in 1951. 

The Schomburg Center has a digitized copy of a 1960 publication entitled, "Willie Mays, Modest Champion," held in The Black Experience in Children's Books: Selections from Augusta Baker's Bibliographies Collection.

This news comes just a few weeks after American Negro League player stats were officially incorporated into the overall historical record for Major League Baseball. 

This exhibition was curated by Kimberly Annece Henderson, Digital Curator, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, with a written response by cultural critic and writer, Bradford William Davis. 

Special thanks to the following project contributors: 

Kiahra Read, Research Assistant, Digital Curation

Emily Hoffman, Lead photographer, Digital Imaging Services 

The entire staff of the Photographs & Prints Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 

The estate of Morgan & Marvin Smith