Discover artists, writers and performers alongside photographs, artworks and cultural objects.
54,097 matching cards · 24 cards per page
1927–1989
William Barron, Jr. (March 27, 1927 – September 21, 1989) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist. Barron was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1908–1988
William Beason (March 6, 1908 – August 15, 1988) was an American swing jazz drummer. At the height of his career, he recorded with Django Reinhardt.
Loading image…1965–
William Bellamy (born April 7, 1965) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, where he is credited for creating or coining the phrase "booty call", described as a late…
Loading image…1937
Bill Cosby became widely known through stand-up comedy and television, particularly The Cosby Show, which depicted a Black professional family. His legacy is also marked by numerous sexual-assault allegations and the withdrawal of many honours; the linked…
Loading image…1916–1996
William Ballard Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American pianist and organist. He began his career playing swing music before transitioning into rhythm and blues. Best known for his instrumental compositions "Honky Tonk" and "Hippy…
1923–1994
William Douglass (February 28, 1923 – December 19, 1994) was an American jazz drummer born in Sherman, Texas. Douglass relocated to Los Angeles when he was six months old, becoming in his adulthood a popular Los Angeles musician who worked shows and…
1932–2017
Bill Dowdy (August 15, 1932 – May 12, 2017) was an American jazz musician and teacher. He was the drummer with the jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The Three Sounds recorded over ten jazz albums from the 1950s through the early 1970s and played with Lester…
Loading image…1943–
William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and director. He is known for his work in action and crime drama, often as a character related to law enforcement.
1946–
Bill Easley (born January 13, 1946) is an American jazz musician who plays saxophone, flute, and clarinet.
Loading image…1953–
Bill Gaskins (born May 25, 1953) is an American photographer and academic. His work explores the intersection of black hair and critical analysis of the portraiture in the 21st century. In his book Good And Bad Hair: Photographs, Gaskins discusses the role…
1934–1989
William Harrison Gunn (July 15, 1934 – April 5, 1989) was an American playwright, novelist, actor and film director. His 1973 cult classic horror film Ganja & Hess was chosen as one of ten best American films of the decade at the Cannes Film Festival,…
1942–1975
William Lowell Howell (September 12, 1942 – July 25, 1975) was a graphic designer, painter, illustrator, set designer and photographer. He was an early member of the Weusi Artist Collective, a group of artists who helped birth the Black Arts Movement in…
Loading image…1936–2022
William R. Hutson (September 6, 1936 – September 21, 2022) was an African-American abstract painter. Active since the early 1960s, he began his career in San Francisco, moving between Europe, Africa, and the US before settling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
1929–2004
William Keith (January 20, 1929 – September 1, 2004) was an American artist who began his artistic life as a painter, but moved into photography and visual poetry. His visual poetry ran a full gamut from calligrams inspired by Apollinaire and other early…
1928–2023
William James Edwards Lee III (July 23, 1928 – May 24, 2023) was an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, his compositions for jazz percussionist Max Roach, and his session work as a…
Loading image…1931–2013
William Miles (April 18, 1931 - May 12, 2013) was an American filmmaker. Born in Harlem, New York, he used his deep knowledge and experience of that iconic neighborhood to produce films that tell unique and often inspiring stories of Harlem's history.…
1955–
Bill Murray (born 1955 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American cartoonist. He became the seventh African-American artist to be nationally syndicated in 2005. Murray is known for his comics, Jet News and The Golden Years.
Loading image…1953–2016
William Goldwyn Nunn III (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his collaborations with director Spike Lee, notably as Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing (1989). He also portrayed Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson…
Loading image…1969–
William Osborne Perkins III (born February 2, 1969) is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, author, film producer, and poker player. He is the founder of Skylar Capital, an energy-focused hedge fund, and a co-founder of the Earth observation…
Loading image…1878–1949
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid Black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. His…
1965
FROM THE SOURCE CATALOGAn image of Bill Russell and Elgin Baylor playing in 1965. The image features Baylor with the ball going to the net and Russell jumping up to defend him. The two are surrounded by other players on the court. The background of the image shows the stands…
1933–1989
Bill Smith (born 1933) is an American fashion and jewelry designer who was the first black recipient of a Coty Award for his designs. He has designed for a number of companies, including costume jewelry for Coro and Richelieu, leather goods for Mark Cross,…
ca. 1986
FROM THE SOURCE CATALOGA black and white photograph of Bill Stephney. Stephney is pictured standing in a dark interior space with a chandelier behind him. He is wearing a black jacket over a light colored button down shirt. The jacket has the name "Bill" embroidered in white on…
Loading image…1952–
William Tass Jones, known as Bill T. Jones (born February 15, 1952), is an American choreographer, director, author and dancer. He is the co-founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. The company's home is in Manhattan.
Biographies, museum objects and archive records are distinct card types. Every card links to its historical source.
