Brooklyn Public Library exhibit features rare photographs of James Baldwin flourishing in Turkey

Baldwin sitting in a Triumph Herald on the Bosphorus Ferry © Sedat Pakay

The Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating the centennial of civil rights activist and writer James Baldwin’s birth with a special exhibition of never-before-seen photographs. Called “Turkey Saved My Life – Baldwin in Istanbul, 1961-1971,” the installation features photographs by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay that shed light on a fertile period in Baldwin’s life when he traveled to the country to distance himself from the racism and homophobia present in America. The exhibition is on view in the lobby of the Central Library through February 28, 2025.

Co-curated by Atesh M. Gundogdu, the exhibition covers Baldwin’s time living in Istanbul from 1961 to 1971. During this period, Baldwin found the “creative space” to write some of his most acclaimed works, including “The Fire Next Time,” “Another Country,” and other texts.

After spending years in Paris, Baldwin decided to venture further east, becoming one of the only Western writers to experience the complex nature of Turkish society in the 1960s. Baldwin himself said, “Turkey saved my life!,” and Pakay’s photographs capture this vital period of renewal and creativity in the writer’s career.

“‘Turkey Saved My Life’ provides insight into how Baldwin shaped both his writing and his unflinching commitment to civil rights.” Linda E. Johnson, BPL president and CEO, said. “James Baldwin’s work continues to resonate as powerfully today as it did during his lifetime, and we are honored to celebrate his legacy and vision of justice.” 

The New York Public Library is also honoring Baldwin’s legacy this year, hosting two special exhibitions featuring his papers, manuscripts, and other materials never displayed publicly.

Through fall 2025, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is displaying for the first time draft pages from works like “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Giovanni’s Room,” and “The Fire Next Time.” The exhibit is part of the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures.

At the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, “Jimmy! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth” includes the center’s collection of Baldwin’s archive of personal papers and materials from other collections highlighting the career and legacy of James “Jimmy” Baldwin.

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