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The beginning of baseball season is a time for renewed energy and rejuvenated spirit, but it’s also a good time to reflect on the past. To do that this year, the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library in Five Points is hosting a temporary exhibit called Who’s On First?: The History of Negro League Baseball.
The show features photos, letters and memorabilia from the collections of Jay Sanford, an Arvada baseball historian and author, and the late John Kohl. Both were experts in the history of the Negro leagues, baseball teams that got their start before Major League Baseball allowed African-Americans to play. “Our library knew of their collections and requested that we borrow items from them for a temporary exhibit,” says library spokeswoman Erin Lally. “It is a one-time exhibit, unique to our library, although I know Jay has displayed items from his collection at other times.”
Tonight at 6:30 p.m., Sanford will give a presentation, including a slide show called “Tragedy, Tradition & Triumph: A History of Black Baseball.” His talk will include information about the Negro League and black baseball in general. Other events will take place on April 19 and 26.
The exhibit runs from April 7 to May 29 during museum hours (Blair-Caldwell is closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays). The library is at 2401 Welton Street. For information, call 720-865-2411 or go to http://aarl.denverlibrary.org.
April 7-May 29, 2010
