Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Ithaca Cornell Hip Hop Collection

Cornell Hip Hop Collection

This rare archive of original recordings and photos uncovers the early days of hip hop culture.

Ithaca, New York

Added By
Meg Neal
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
An artifact from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
The hip hop archive at the Cornell University Library.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
A section of the hip hop archive at the Cornell University Library.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
A photo from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
An artifact from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
A flier from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
A photo from the Cornell Hip Hop Collection.   Cornell Hip Hop Collection/used with permission
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It wasn't long after its birth in the South Bronx in the late 1970s that hip hop exploded into a global phenomenon. And now, some 40-odd years later, hip hop music and culture is increasingly being taken seriously as a scholarly subject. Nowhere is this truer than at Cornell University, home to one of the largest research archives chronicling the early days of the genre. 

The Cornell University Library’s collection of some 50,000 items documents the history of rap music, with a focus on the formative years in New York City. The archive began with the personal collection of Johan Kugelberg, a former record industry executive who amassed a trove of vinyl recordings, tapes, photos, party flyers, magazine clippings, and other paraphernalia from around 1977 to 1985.

From there, it grew to include rare shots from the streets of the Bronx taken by early hip hop photographers like Joe Conzo, Jr.; original drawings and photos showcasing the work of the graffiti artist Richie “SEEN” Mirando; and the legendary collection of LPs gathered by pioneering hip hop DJ Afrika Bambaataa, who was a visiting scholar at Cornell. 

The Cornell Hip Hop Collection also recently incorporated the archive of Bill Adler, a former publicist at Def Jam Records who saw the commercial rise of early hip hop stars like LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and Public Enemy. His compilation of recordings, photos, and press follows hip hop culture as it moved from the streets to the studio, from the boroughs of New York to cities around the world. 

Related Tags

Music Archive Collections Libraries Universities History Hip Hop Culture

Know Before You Go

The Hip Hop Collection is located in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections on Level 2B of the Carl A. Kroch Library (accessed through the Olin Library). The collection is open to the general public by appointment. Visitors can register and request specific items in advance on the library website, which also provides a map and detailed directions for visiting the archive. If you aren't able to make the trip in person, be heartened that much of the collection has been digitized and made freely available online.

Community Contributors

Added By

Meg

Published

February 11, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Cornell Hip Hop Collection
216 East Ave
Ithaca, New York, 14850
United States
42.447877, -76.48486
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The A. D. White Library

Ithaca, New York

miles away

Wilder Brain Collection

Ithaca, New York

miles away

The Cornell Apple Vending Machine

Ithaca, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ithaca

Ithaca

New York

Places 12
Stories 4

Nearby Places

The A. D. White Library

Ithaca, New York

miles away

Wilder Brain Collection

Ithaca, New York

miles away

The Cornell Apple Vending Machine

Ithaca, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ithaca

Ithaca

New York

Places 12
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

35 Places to Celebrate Black Musicians and How They Changed the World

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • View of the “Castle of Light” from across the Daugava.

    Riga, Latvia

    Castle of Light

    Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

  • Some of the buildings which form the Palace Green Library

    Durham, England

    Palace Green Library

    This library dates back to the late 17th century and was one of the first public lending libraries in England.

  • Visitors to Lev’s Gathering Place can listen to thousands of classic recordings from the Golden Age of black gospel music.

    Waco, Texas

    Lev's Gathering Place

    A musical sanctuary that preserves gospel’s Golden Age is tucked inside a library at Baylor University.

  • The Estey Organ Museum contains dozens of playable organs, of all shapes and sizes.

    Brattleboro, Vermont

    Estey Organ Museum

    Play everything you see at a museum dedicated to a town's historic organ industry.

  • Bratmobile performing in London, 1994.

    New York, New York

    Riot Grrrl Collection at NYU

    A collection of fanzines, recordings, and documents detailing the rise and influence of the feminist punk movement.

  • Verona, Italy

    Biblioteca Capitolare of Verona

    One of the oldest libraries in the world is still operating and contains the oldest existing document in the Italian language.

  • The Matenadaran and statue of Mesrop Mashtots.

    Yerevan, Armenia

    The Matenadaran

    This medieval manuscript collection has some of the most obscure and ancient texts in the world.

  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Mask and Wig Clubhouse

    A curious building honoring past and current members of a historic musical comedy troupe.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.