In a cultural moment obsessed with what is new, The Black Canon is making a bold and beautiful commitment to what must never be lost. This brother and sister duo are curating one of the worlds most significant archives of Black art, film, music and memorabilia, inheriting and expanding their father James E. Wheelers extraordinary 40,000 piece collection dating back to the 1920s.
James E. Wheeler began collecting as a young man outside his parents juke joint in Lumber, Arkansas, captivated by Black storytelling in film and music that rarely reached mainstream audiences. His passion grew into one of the nations leading private archives of Black cinema, theater memorabilia, rare albums, vintage posters, lobby cards, photographs and magazines featuring icons like Dorothy Dandridge, Paul Robeson, Herb Jeffries, Lena Horne, Oscar Micheaux, Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday.
"I am trying to preserve black history and black culture for future generations." – James E. Wheeler
Through his organization Concept East II (founded 1986), Wheelers collection connected with prestigious institutions including the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The University of Texas, Harvard University and culminated in a landmark 1997 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Today, the sibling curators lead The Black Canon, LLC and its nonprofit arm, The Black Canon Collection, actively housing, curating and archiving this cultural treasure while developing traveling exhibitions, educational programs, content licensing and partnerships with institutions like Jomaja Films, Piedmont Narrative, Black Artists Archive and The Gates Preserve.
Their documentary Searching for Black Gold chronicles this multigenerational mission of discovery and preservation. For art, style and culture lovers, The Black Canon proves Black creativity deserves to be canonized, studied and celebrated for generations to come. Learn more and give at black-canon.com/support-donate.
Upcoming Exhibition
Poster House presents Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen, a revelatory exhibition tracing African American cultural expression from 1880s theater to early Hollywood cinema. Running March 13 through September 6, 2026, this collection of rare advertising posters documents a crucial era when Black performers, playwrights, composers, directors, and producers created vital counter-narratives to the era's dehumanizing stereotypes.
The exhibition charts the evolution from "All Colored Revues"—authentic Black casts replacing white blackface performers—to sophisticated stage productions that offered emotional depth and authentic Black perspectives. As movies overtook theater in the 1920s, these same creatives brought their storytelling mastery to the silver screen, though many "all-colored cast" films are now lost forever.
These posters represent the primary surviving evidence of this golden age of Black performance, spanning 1870s vaudeville through 1940s cinema. They capture how Black artists transformed stories from stage to screen while innovating within oppressive industry constraints.
Key Partnership
Made possible through the generous collaboration of The Black Canon Collection (Detroit, MI), whose unparalleled archive preserves these cultural artifacts.
Support
Funded by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), City Council, and Norman K. and Katharine A. Meyrowitz.
This exhibition illuminates a transformative chapter in American entertainment history, celebrating Black creatives who built cultural infrastructure against extraordinary odds. Visitors will encounter the visual legacy of performers, directors, and producers who made space for authentic Black stories when none was willingly given.
