Exploring the Vibrant Nightlife of Harlem: A Journey through "A Night-Club Map of Harlem" by E. Simms Campbell
"A Night-Club Map of Harlem," by E. Simms Campbell, Cartographer, and Publisher Dell Publishing Company. New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, Inc., 1932. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016585261/.
The 1932 "Night-Club Map of Harlem" by acclaimed African American illustrator E. Simms Campbell presents a whimsically detailed Art Deco streetscape depicting the buzzing music venues and hotspots that brought Prohibition-era swing culture to life uptown. This iconic map provides a fascinating glimpse into the vibrant nightlife and cultural scene of Harlem during the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance.
* And there are two sousaphonists highlighted within the work!!
By Marc T. Gaspard Bolin
Monday, December 4, 2023
Introduction: The Jazz Age Streetscape
In the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, E. Simms Campbell's "A Night-Club Map of Harlem" unfolds as a whimsically detailed Art Deco streetscape, offering a vivid guide to the thriving music venues and hotspots that brought Prohibition-era swing culture to life uptown. This iconic map, created in 1932, provides a fascinating glimpse into the vibrant nightlife and cultural scene of Harlem during one of the most transformative periods in American history.
E. Simms Campbell: A Pioneer in Black Illustration
E. Simms Campbell (1906–1971), born in St. Louis, Missouri, is a trailblazing African American cartoonist, illustrator, and art director. Notably, he became the first Black cartoonist nationally syndicated in the U.S., contributing single-panel cartoons known as 'Cuties' to mainstream periodicals like Esquire. Campbell's distinctive and humorous style quickly gained recognition, setting the stage for his notable contributions to the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance.
His illustrations graced nearly every Esquire issue between 1933 and 1958, and he consistently lent his artistic touch to publications such as The Chicagoan, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, The New Yorker, Playboy, Opportunity, Pictorial Review, and Redbook. (Here is some of his other work for advertisers and magazines: American Art Archives)
A Night-Club Map of Harlem: A Snapshot of the Harlem Renaissance
"A Night-Club Map of Harlem" is one of Campbell's most iconic works, created during the height of the Harlem Renaissance. This visually stunning map is a time capsule, capturing the essence of Harlem's cultural and entertainment scene during the early 1930s. Campbell's crosshatch and woodcut style masterfully brings to life the bustling streets of Harlem, complete with speakeasies, ballrooms, revues, and the legendary musicians who graced the neighborhood.
The observer gazes southwest, capturing the expanse of Lenox Avenue and Seventh Avenue, framed by Central Park at 110th Street in the upper left corner and the Harlem River in the bottom left. The "Harlem Moon" graces the upper right, while a compass rose and a police station anchor the bottom right. The vibrant streetscape unfolds between 131st, 133rd, 134th, 135th, and 142nd streets, stretching east to west. Iconic venues like the Radium Club, Cotton Club featuring Cab Calloway's band, Savoy Ballroom, Connie's Inn, Lafayette Theatre, Log Cabin, Theatrical Grill, Gladys Bentley at Gladys' Clam House, Club Hot-Cha, and Small's Paradise populate the scene. Animated figures engage in popular dances like the Lindy Hop, the Bump, and Snakehips. Renowned musicians such as Harlan Lattimore, Garland Wilson, and Don Redman are spotlighted alongside tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The lively atmosphere includes a vendor peddling hot peanuts, Tillie's restaurant showcasing fried chicken, and vendors known as "the Crab Man" and "the Reefer Man." Each character and venue comes with a concise written description. A rectangular label at the bottom right proudly declares, "Engraved and copyrighted 1932 by E. Simms Campbell."
The magazine, composed of four folded sheets (a, b, c, d), unveils the map in the centerfold of sheet d, spanning pages 8 and 9. The dark blue wrapper (e) features a graphic of a man and woman against an abstracted cityscape on the front and back covers, with the very bottom right corner teasing a "relief" map of Greenwich Village in the February 1 Manhattan magazine. The magazine's content encompasses printed text, advertisements, and illustrations.
More than just an artistic map, it contains deeper cultural codes and meanings.
Unveiling the Secrets: The Coded Locations
The very act of visually mapping a bird's-eye view of a thriving Black nightlife hub counters the cultural invisibility and societal marginalization facing Harlem residents. Campbell codes pride and community belonging into the work.
Jazz venues and barbershops pulse around citizens sporting the latest fashion, illustrating how music and style permeated daily life. Campbell rhythmically arrays theaters, ballrooms, humor, and newspapers into the visual flow, nodding to the creative ferment bubbling uptown.
Lining the composition's lower margin, Campbell arrays Harlem insider references and slang - Easter Parade fashions to numbers bankers - signaling to readers keyed into codes of his world. Through artful choreography of images and text, his landmark illustration engraved Harlem's profound cultural influence and codes into America's broader imagination for generations to come.
Campbell adds a hidden layer of intrigue that invites viewers to explore hidden club locations marked by coded red dots—not visible on extant maps. This clever feature reflects the Prohibition era, adding depth to the map and allowing viewers to engage with the rebellious spirit of the time.
Celebrating the Tuba: A Musical Delight
Above the jaunty caricatures flanking a landmark theater, Cab Calloway's orchestra takes center stage, marked with a red circle that serves as a veiled welcome for those "in the know." Cab Calloway, a luminary of the Harlem Renaissance, brought energy and charisma to the scene. The inclusion of his orchestra on the map underlines the significant role that jazz and big band music played in shaping Harlem's cultural landscape.
Within Cab Calloway's band, depicted on the map, a sousaphone (tuba) player stands out. This detail speaks volumes about Campbell's attention to the musical richness of Harlem's nightlife. The tuba, often underestimated, finds its place in the swinging jazz scene of Harlem, contributing to the dynamic and energetic sound of the era. Including the tuba player highlights the instrument's importance in creating the rich soundscape that defined the Jazz Age.
The Sousaphone's Role in Harlem's Jazz Scene
The sousaphone played a pivotal role in shaping the dynamic sounds of Harlem's jazz era, and Campbell's map beautifully captures this musical heritage. As a fixture in many of the jazz bands during this time, the sousaphone's bombastic "oomph" provided the essential bass foundation for the energetic performances at prime Harlem venues like the Savoy Ballroom and the Cotton Club. The map showcases the prominence of sousaphones in the swing orchestras that dominated the scene, with lively depictions of musicians carrying these iconic instruments.
The bustling nightclubs of 1930s Harlem were home to many of the era's hottest jazz orchestras and tuba players. In outfits led by maestros like Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Chick Webb, and many visiting Midwest and Kansas City orchestras, sousaphones were the driving force behind thumping, mobile basslines that propelled dancers at the Savoy Ballroom into twirling ecstasy. The map hints at the importance of sousaphones by featuring a tuba/sousaphone in Cab Calloway’s and Chick Webb’s orchestras, emphasizing its role in creating the swinging spectacle that characterized Harlem's nightlife.
At the acclaimed Savoy Ballroom, the high-energy swing music of Chick Webb could be heard blasting through the ballroom, featuring driving tuba grooves provided by bassist Elmer James, who doubled on the large brass instrument. Meanwhile, just a few blocks away at the posh Cotton Club, the legendary Cab Calloway led his band through uptempo scat solos and loose-limbed funk, underpinned by the virtuosic tuba lines of Milt "The Judge" Hinton, known for his technical mastery of bass and tuba. Though not his main axe, Hinton's work on the tuba with Cab's band added rich texture and harmonic depth to the group's riotous stage shows, which often competed for audiences with the neighboring Savoy.
These two exceptional Harlem bandleaders, Webb and Calloway, fueled the neighborhood's booming jazz scene and hired some of the era's finest musicians to bring the rhythmic, brassy feel of tuba to their grooving swing bands as they entertained packed crowds of dancers and revelers into the wee small hours on a nightly basis. Their house tuba players likely crossed paths and traded licks as they moved between the Harlem hot spots.
For a more in-depth exploration of the tuba and sousaphone's lasting legacy in jazz, you can read "The Lasting Legacy of the Tuba In Jazz: Its History, Trailblazing Musicians, and Essential Musical Examples" on [Brass Opera's blog]. Additionally, "Traditional Jazz: A Brief Style Guide" is available here for insights into traditional jazz.
A Time Capsule of Harlem's Cultural Legacy
E. Simms Campbell's "A Night-Club Map of Harlem" is both a historical document and a vibrant piece of art, offering a snapshot of the lively cultural scene in Harlem during the early 1930s. Campbell's intricate illustrations and meticulous attention to detail transport viewers back in time, capturing the spirit of the Jazz Age and the rich cultural legacy of Harlem. The map serves as a testament to the resilience, creativity, and indomitable spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.
Visit the Library of Congress website and explore "A Night-Club Map of Harlem." Let E. Simms Campbell's whimsical illustrations transport you to a time of swing music, artistic expression, and the indomitable spirit of Harlem's vibrant nightlife.
Campbell, E. Simms , Cartographer, and Publisher Dell Publishing Company. A night-club map of Harlem. [New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, Inc., ©, 1932] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016585261/.