"AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase" on view through September 13

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- "AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase" documents the rise of a dynamic American entertainer.

"Though she was born in Newport News, Virginia, she really started her career here in Philadelphia and then became a global icon," says Michael K. Wilson, Ph.D., Curator of "AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase."

The exhibition focuses on Bailey's many talents, from television, to the theater stage, to writing books, and the impact she had on the world.

"She was appointed the Ambassador of Love to the United Nations," says Dr. Wilson.

After Bailey passed in 1990, her husband, Louie Bellson, donated many of her artifacts to the museum.

"There were about 100 scrapbooks," says Dr. Wilson. "We received a grant to digitize her scrapbooks."

The story of her life and career is told in two parts, starting with a virtual exhibition.

"Where you can digitally flip through the scrapbooks as if they're in your hand," he says.

The physical exhibition highlights personal items thematically. Visitors can hear some of her music.

"She had over 30 recording albums that she created throughout her career," he says.

Her time on Broadway is also highlighted.

"She performed in the all-Black cast of "Hello, Dolly!" which she actually won a Tony Award for," he says. "It really becomes one of the cornerstones of her performative career."

She also influenced local dance legends, like Philadanco Founder Joan Myers Brown.

"She danced for Pearl Bailey in Las Vegas and actually protested with Pearl Bailey on the integration of the Las Vegas Strip," he says. "She really engaged with, you know, the human condition. She broke barriers for Black entertainers, along with Sammy Davis, Jr."

Visitors can see Bailey on screen with actress Carol Channing.

"They did a one-night performance on Broadway, and it was televised on ABC," says Dr. Wilson. "You have to experience Pearl Bailey."

"AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase" through September 13, 2025.

For more information:

"AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase"
Online Exhibit of "AAMP Presents: The Pearl Bailey Showcase"
Link to Tickets at the African American Museum in Philadelphia

African American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106