Armstead-Johnson Foundation

The Armstead-Johnson Foundation for Theater Research was established in 1974 by theater historian Helen Armstead-Johnson for the purpose of collecting, preserving, documenting and exhibiting the history of African-American contributions to the American stage. The Foundation was supported financially by Dr. Johnson from her university salary, lectures and exhibition fees, and with a few small grants and modest private donations.

Theatrical history from slavery to the 1980's is represented in the collection. Most of the items were acquired through donations, although Dr. Johnson also purchased some material and gathered contemporary articles to supplement older material. Among the materials which were collected by the Foundation are correspondence, scripts, programs, production files, rare books and pamphlets, posters, broadsides, contracts, scrapbooks, costumes and costume designs, playbills, musical instruments, family memorabilia, photographs, phonograph records, taped interviews with well-known entertainers, newsclippings and trophies.

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