Night of the Libraries 2025

Martha Cooper Library at URBAN NATION Museum with Film Screening: “Martha Cooper Picture Story”

When: Friday, April 4, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Where: Martha Cooper Library, URBAN NATION Museum, Bülowstr. 7, 10783 Berlin 

Admission: Free

Under the motto “Knowledge. Share. Discover.”, the Martha Cooper Library (MCL) at the URBAN NATION Museum in Berlin will open its doors on April 4, 2025, for the Night of the Libraries. It is a specialized library with literature and archival materials on graffiti and street art. 

The continuously growing collection is based on a generous donation and long-term loans of publications and archival materials by Martha Cooper in 2014. She was the first protagonist and most important documentarian of graffiti and street art. Cooper’s photographs have significantly contributed to the international recognition of the subculture since the 1970s. Her iconic images from the Bronx have shaped the global perception of urban youth culture. 

The MCL preserves and documents this heritage with around 2,400 media items and makes it available to the public as a reference collection in the reading room. The library collection includes rare items such as “Golden Boy as Anthony Cool” (1972) and “Street Writers. A Guided Tour of Chicano Graffiti” (1975). 

The Night of Libraries at the Martha Cooper Library offers insights into the fascinating world of urban art and the opportunity to experience one of the most important collections of its kind worldwide. Admission to the event is free, and all interested parties are warmly invited to explore the offerings.

Program

As part of the Night of Libraries, the documentary “Martha Cooper Picture Story” will be shown. The film provides a fascinating insight into the life and work of Martha Cooper, who has documented the subcultural art of the streets for over 40 years. 

Film Screening: “Martha Cooper Picture Story” – Start: 6:15 PM and 8:15 PM

The Martha Cooper Library is active in the “One Person Libraries Berlin Brandenburg” working group. During the Night of the Libraries, the working group and two other representatives, the specialized library of the nearby Lette Verein and the reference library of the Hegenbarth Collection Berlin, will present themselves at stands. 

The event is part of the Night of the Libraries, organized by the German Library Association (dbv) and its 16 regional associations, to celebrate the diversity and importance of libraries in Germany.

Photo: Nika Kramer