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A Rare Treasure: John Hersey High School’s Historic Copy of "The New Yorker" Joins NYPL Exhibit

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Katie Alexander, the former librarian at John Hersey High School, secured an original copy of The New Yorker magazine from August 31, 1946. This special edition was entirely devoted to John Hersey’s investigative masterpiece, Hiroshima .  What makes this copy particularly unique is that it still has the white band alerting readers to the magazine's content. This “obi” band was only placed on copies distributed at newsstands in New York City, and only a few thousand of these editions were ever produced.  In 2021, author Lesley M. M. Blume appeared on our ARCLight Podcast to discuss John Hersey and her book Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World . When presented with this copy of The New Yorker , she was astonished. “I’ve never seen the band,” she exclaimed. For years, she had contacted rare ephemera and book dealers in search of a copy with the elusive white band.  As it turns out, John Hersey High School holds the only known copy....
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Black History Month in the ARC - 2025

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  February is Black History Month. Come on down to the ARC to check out our display of books that highlight Black history and Black voices.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hersey ARC (@herseyarc)
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Artists of the Month: Jerry Butler and Betty Everett

By Bruce Janu -
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My first exposure to Jerry "The Iceman" Butler came from a K-Tel commercial for an album called Superbad   in 1973 that I saw when I was a kid. I didn't know much about him at the time.  It wasn't until I was much older that I became a fan. Although Jerry Butler was born in Mississippi, he moved with his family to Chicago in 1941, and grew up in the  Cabrini Green housing projects. It was in church where he met Curtis Mayfield. Together, in 1958, they joined with three other singers to form "Jerry Butler and the Impressions." After leaving the group a couple of years later, Jerry Butler went solo and received the moniker "The Iceman" from a Philadelphia DJ, to highlight his cool, baritone voice. The name stuck. Betty Everett, too, was born in Mississippi. At the age of 18, she moved to Chicago in 1957 to pursue a music career. In 1964, she produced a hit single. You probably know it, because it has been covered by many people including Linda Ronsta...
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"Race Music" and the Beginning of Rock and Roll

By Bruce Janu -
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Last month we highlighted Elvis Presley. He may have been the “King of Rock and Roll,” but in no way did he invent the music. In fact, he merely copied the music that had been invented and played in the Black community for years.   Not to diminish the importance of Elvis, though. He would eventually develop his own style. But more importantly, he introduced Rock and Roll to a whole new audience. Billboard , January 1, 1949 Public Domain Like Blues and Jazz before it, Rock and Roll music was developed by Black musicians in Black communities. But it was not known as Rock and Roll, however. It was, at the time, called “rhythm and blues,” or “R & B.” Which, according to Little Richard , stood for “real Black.” To White America, however, it was called “Race Music.” Major record labels refused to record it. White-owned establishments did not put the music in their juke boxes. White performers did not record the music, either. At least, not yet. This was a pattern that had played o...
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