Picturing Mobility: Black Tourism and Leisure during the Jim Crow Era

The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents the exhibition Picturing Mobility: Black Tourism and Leisure during the Jim Crow Era, on display from September 2 through December 19.

Picturing Mobility explores what it meant to seek leisure and travel as a Black American during the Jim Crow era. The exhibition features snapshots and travel ephemera of Black leisure experiences primarily from the mid-Atlantic during the 1920s to 1960s. From beach outings to family road trips, these images offer glimpses into everyday moments of happiness, relaxation and community, challenging dominant narratives that define the era solely through restriction and struggle. Viewers are encouraged to reflect on the emotional power of these images of Black resistance and mobility.

Explore more about the Picturing Mobility exhibition.

Public Programs

Friday, September 19, 5 p.m. — Join us for a curatorial talk with Elizabeth Patton, chair and associate professor of media and communication studies at UMBC, followed by an opening reception.

Thursday, December 4, 5 p.m. — Join us for a panel discussion with Corey Lewis, Ashley Minner Jones, Oyinda Omoloja, Elizabeth Patton, and Beth Saunders. The conversation will be moderated by Sophia Blessit-Sottileo, Dean and Vice Provost of the AOK Library & Gallery.

Visitor Information

Admission to Picturing Mobility and the public program is free. For driving directions and parking information, please visit here.

Library Gallery hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Please note — The Library Gallery will be closed from Wednesday, November 26, through Saturday, November 29.

The presentation of this exhibition and its public programs is supported by the Arts+ Initiative; the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and an arts program grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from the Libby Kuhn Endowment Fund, as well as individual contributors.

Image: Addison Scurlock, Picnic, #78, [Highland Beach, Maryland], c. 1931, printed 1982. Gelatin Silver Print, The Photography Collections, UMBC (P82-17-014).