Recently a New York historian – Eve Kahn – reached out to residents on East 126th Street regarding a former resident from the block – the reformer/publisher/writer Zoe Anderson Norris (1860-1914).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe_Anderson_Norris
https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/news/forgotten-gilded-age-author-zoe-anderson-norris-be-celebrated
Zoe Anderson Norris lived at 57 East 126th Street around the turn of the 20th century. In addition, as an author, Zoe would write about and describe her life on East 126th Street, including her view of rose gardens out the back window and the sound of nearby church bells (most likely St. James).
On either side were other back yards of the same shape and pattern, better tended, being private back yards, the roses held primly against the wall by strings. Further on yet rose the rear of a church, covered with vines, the tinkle of whose chimes told the half hours and the quarters
https://archive.org/details/colorhissoul00norrgoog/page/n82/mode/2up?q=rose&view=theater
Eve Kahn is putting together an exhibition on Zoe Anderson Norris, which coincides with Women’s History Month.
https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/news/forgotten-gilded-age-author-zoe-anderson-norris-be-celebrated
The exhibition is open 10-7 weekdays and 10-5 on Saturdays, March 1-May 13. All are welcome to attend the March 1st opening
These links are about a few of Zoe’s many interesting friends!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_D._Corrothers
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243494593/harry-sylvester-huggs
She said Zoe was a strong willed woman, believed in God in her own way. Eve Kahn said she’s thrilled to learn that Zoe’s former house is still full of empowerment and rejoicing!
Black Minds. Black Creativity.
Alice H. Walker was working as a cook in New Jersey in 1919 when she patented a central heating system that led to the creation of modern home heating systems used across the globe.
Garrett Morgan, the son of formerly enslaved parents, had only an elementary school education when he created the stoplight that is still used at intersections today.
Mark Dean led the team of computer scientists at IBM who invented color computer monitors—the technology that allowed for modern computers and smartphones.
Valerie Thomas is the NASA physicist who invented a transmitter in 1980 that could project 3D images onto a screen, thus paving the way for the 3D movies playing in theaters today.
And in 2020, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett became the lead scientist at the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center. Her work led to the creation of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.