Take a step back in time and relive the electricity on the streets of Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s with the iconic “A Night Club Map of Harlem”, illustrated by E. Simms Campbell in 1932 and portraying the after-dark world of the speakeasies, nightclubs, secret lounges and the vibrant entertainers who were the shining lights during the Harlem Renaissance.

On the cover and inside the journal, Campbell’s witty imagery and personal notes capture the excitement that radiated from Lenox Avenue with Cab Calloway singing at the Cotton Club, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson step-dancing at the Lafayette Theater, and the scene at the Club Hot-Cha, where “nothing happens before 2am”. Also included are spirited “café au lait girls” dancing at Small’s Paradise, Gladys Bentley in her top hat and tuxedo at Gladys’ Clam House, singers crooning at the Radium Club, and recommendations for his personal favorite hangouts, Tillie’s, where “the fried chicken is really good!”, and Log Cabin, “an intimate little spot”.

E. Simms Campbell’s Nightclub Map of Harlem has gained enduring cultural and historical interest and many accolades, and in 2020, Campbell was posthumously inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame, the pinnacle of recognition in the comic book industry.