CBH Talk | Collecting + Care: Exploring the BLK MKT Vintage Vault
The awe. The wonder. The quest. The adventure.
~ Jannah and Kiyanna Handy, BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories
Jannah and Kiyanna Handy, owners of BLK MKT Vintage and authors of BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories, have spent over a decade culling, sifting, searching, and sorting in their quest to collect and share vintage Black ephemera and material culture. Through their work, they have curated tens of thousands of Black-centric treasures, reclaiming and celebrating the Black history these physical objects tell. Among their discoveries, certain pieces hold special personal meaning and are preserved in their private collection, aptly named The Vault.
Join us as Jannah and Kiyanna showcase items from The Vault, sharing stories behind each piece. CBH Director of Special Collections Natiba Guy-Clement, will also highlight items from this institution’s collections. Moderated by CBH Chief Historian Dominique Jean-Louis, we’ll explore the intersections between institutional and private collecting, reflect on how we all curate our own spaces, and consider how valuing personal treasures helps to honor history.
Step into the community for an evening that celebrates the love of collecting, and leave with a deeper appreciation for the stories objects hold.
Do you have a beloved vintage item?
We’ll kick off the night with a slideshow of your treasures!
Share a photo by clicking here.
Participants
Jannah and Kiyanna Handy are the co-founders of BLK MKT Vintage, an online vintage/antique concept shop that specializes in collectibles and curiosities, representing the richness of black history and lived experience. Their passion for material culture and found objects has led them to interior design projects, personal sourcing, set design, prop rental, museum loans and other curatorial projects in media/entertainment, education, the arts & philanthropy. Jannah has a background in business and education, with a B.A. in Economics from Smith College, and a M.Ed. in Higher Education from UMASS, Amherst. Kiyanna has a background in fashion & education, with a B.A. in Journalism & Africana Studies and a M.A. in Women's Studies, all from Rutgers University. The pair jointly serve on the Board of Trustees of Weeksville Heritage Center, one of the country’s first free Black communities in their hometown, Brooklyn, New York.
Photo by Nick Davis
Natiba Guy-Clement is the Director of Special Collections at the Center for Brooklyn History. Born and raised in Trinidad, Natiba immigrated to Harlem, NY, and started her library career at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Her interest in special collections motivated her to obtain her master’s degree in library and information science, from Pratt Institute. She has been a part of the Brooklyn Public Library team for the past seven years. As a Brooklynite, Natiba enjoys using her special collections experience for the borough.
Dominique Jean-Louis, Ph.D is the Chief Historian of the Center for Brooklyn History at the Brooklyn Public Library. Previously, she held the position of Associate Curator of History Exhibitions at New-York Historical Society, where she co-curated Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow (2018), Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass' America (2022), and is the co-curator of Black Dolls (2022). She is a former Mellon Predoctoral Fellow in Museum Education at the Museum of the City of New York. She received her B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies from Columbia University, and her Ph.D in US History from New York University, with her doctoral research focusing on race, education, and immigration in post-Civil Rights Era Brooklyn. Dominique regularly writes and lectures on Blackness in America, schools and education, and New York City history.
