Black Moviegoing in Harlem: The Case of the Alhambra Theater, 1905–1931

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The Alhambra theater opened in New York City in 1905, on the corner of 126th Street and Seventh Avenue, initially as a vaudeville theater catering to white audiences. This article examines the changing racial politics of the theater, which took place as a response to the increasing presence of Black residents in the area. It uses Black weeklies to reconstruct its attitude toward African American patrons, as the Alhambra progressed from a whites-only theater to a buzzing center of Black sociability. In concentrating on a specific cinematic venue, the article provides an insight into Black entertainment in the urban North before the 1930s.