The Apollo Theater Archive Project is a concerted effort to investigate, organize and properly store historically important materials currently held and continually produced by the Apollo, as well as to collect costumes, documents, photographs, recordings, memorabilia and other items that are in the possession of other known and unknown parties. This project is the most important endeavor that we currently are undertaking, as it forms the basis and is the platform for all other activities at the Apollo Theater. This project centralizes a wealth of information and materials relating to the Apollo Theater’s history; documents the Apollo’s current activities, including construction and restoration efforts, performances, and programs; and serves as an important resource for marketing, audience development, educational programs, and new business ventures. Additionally, the Apollo Theater Archive Project will establish a system for the long-term care of archival materials, secure equipment that will enable us to capture, document, and preserve our ongoing activities, and provide multiple means for sharing the unique collection with the public.

The Archive Project is essential to the ongoing growth and long-term stability of this historic institution. The Archive will grow to become a primary resource for all programmatic initiatives and other efforts at the Theater. Additionally, the Archive presents an unparalleled resource for the entire community to explore aspects of American history and culture in which the Apollo has played a unique role. Moreover, it provides a historical underpinning and institutional identity enabling the Apollo to evolve, and remain a vital, dynamic performing arts organization.

Current components of the Archive Project include:

Smithsonian's Apollo Theater Exhibition

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment

The first exhibition to explore the Apollo Theater’s seminal impact on American popular culture has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment examines the rich history and cultural significance of the legendary Harlem theater, tracing the story from its origins as a segregated burlesque hall to its starring role at the epicenter of African American entertainment and American popular culture.

Organized by NMAAHC in association with the Apollo and in celebration of the Apollo's 75th Anniversary, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing was on view in the new museum's gallery in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History from April 23, 2010 through August 29, 2010.  Following its premiere in Washington D.C., the exhibition was presented at Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from October 1, 2010 - January 2, 2011. The exhibition comes to the Museum of the City of New York from February 8 through May 11, 2011 and will then tour to other cities (to be announced).  The tour is being presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. 

The tour of the Apollo Theater Exhibit is made possible by a generous grant from Time Warner, Inc, with additional funding from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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Apollo Publications

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
Edited by Richard Carlin and Kinshasha Holman Conwill, forward by Smokey Robinson. 

A richly illustrated book serves as a companion to the exhibition of the same name and explores the social and historical significance of the Apollo and the cultural impact of the artists who performed there.  Zita Allen, a former critic for Dance Magazine, focuses on the legacy of the Apollo chorus line dancers.  Greg Tate, at work on a biography of James Brown, investigates the unique success of the God Father of Soul. Mel Watkins, author of On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy, writes about pioneering comedians at the Apollo.  Ethnomusicologist Christopher Washburne, founding director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program at Columbia University, writes about Latin music at the Apollo. 
Published by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, through Smithsonian Books, Smithsonian Institution, 2010. 

Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem’s World Famous Theater
by Ted Fox

A full-scale history of the world famous Apollo Theater, a classic text, updated in 2003. 
Mill Road Enterprises (Revised edition), 2003.

Amateur Night at the Apollo
by Ralph Cooper and Steve Dougherty.
HarperCollins, 1990.

Apollo Oral History Project
 

The Apollo Theater joined with Columbia University’s Oral History Research Office to document and preserve the vibrant history of Harlem’s Apollo Theater and its surrounding neighborhood.  The Apollo Theater Oral History Project features interviews with performers, personalities and staff, as well as local cultural and political leaders in an effort to spotlight and safeguard one of New York’s most important cultural institutions.
The project includes audio and video interviews with artists and community leaders across generations who have helped distinguish the renowned theater, with participation from such notable figures as Smokey Robinson and Hal Jackson, among many others.