Hatch-Billops Collection

The Hatch-Billops Collection is a New York-based archive, research center, and small press dedicated to preserving the history of African-American theatre, visual art, and culture. It was founded around 1970 by James V. Hatch, a white theatre historian and professor, and Camille Billops, an African-American sculptor, filmmaker, and archivist. The organization grew out of their shared commitment to documenting the contributions of black artists who were often excluded from mainstream historical records. The Collection's holdings include thousands of photographs, oral-history interviews, scripts, posters, correspondence, and other primary materials related to black performers, playwrights, designers, and visual artists. It has served as a resource for scholars, students, and cultural institutions. In addition to archiving, the Collection has published books, monographs, and the journal "Artist and Influence," which features interviews with African-American artists and theatre professionals. The organization operates as a non-profit entity, Hatch-Billops Collection, Inc., and is based in New York City. Its website, hatch-billopsarchive.org, provides information about its holdings and activities. While it is not a conventional commercial brand, it functions as a trademarked cultural enterprise with a distinct identity in the fields of archival preservation and publishing.

The Hatch-Billops Collection was established around 1970 by James V. Hatch and Camille Billops. James Hatch was a professor of theatre at the City College of New York and a scholar of African-American theatre history. Camille Billops was an artist, filmmaker, and archivist whose work often explored African-American identity and history. Together they began collecting materials that documented the contributions of black artists to American theatre and visual culture. Over the following decades, the Collection expanded to include thousands of photographs, interviews, scripts, and other documents. It became a vital resource for researchers and was used in numerous books, dissertations, and exhibitions. The Collection also published the journal "Artist and Influence," which featured in-depth interviews with African-American artists, and produced books such as "Artist and Influence: Volume 1" and other monographs. The organization was incorporated as a non-profit, Hatch-Billops Collection, Inc., and continued to operate from New York City. James Hatch and Camille Billops were active in its management until their deaths (Hatch in 2020, Billops in 2016). The archive's website provides access to information about its holdings and publications. The Collection remains a significant, if niche, institution in the field of African-American cultural history.

• 2020

  Co-founder James V. Hatch dies.

• 2016

  Co-founder Camille Billops dies.

• 1980

  Publication of the journal "Artist and Influence" begins.

• 1970

  Hatch-Billops Collection founded by James V. Hatch and Camille Billops.

A non-profit cultural archive and publisher focused on African-American theatre and art history.

• Artist and Influence journal

  An annual journal featuring interviews with African-American artists and theatre professionals.

• Archival collections

  Photographs, oral histories, scripts, and documents related to African-American theatre and art.

1. 1Hatch-Billops Collection - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Hatch-Billops Archivehatch-billopsarchive.org