Book Talk: Boss of the Grips

Historian Eric K. Washington will discuss his new book, “Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal”, a long-overdue biography of the head of Grand Central Terminal’s Red Caps, James H. Williams, who flourished in the cultural nexus of Harlem and American railroads. Examining the deeply intertwined subjects of class, labor, and African American history, Washington chronicles Williams’s life, showing how the enterprising son of freed slaves successfully navigated the segregated world of the northern metropolis, and in so doing ultimately achieved financial and social influence. With this biography, Williams must now be considered, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jacqueline Onassis, one of the great heroes of Grand Central’s storied past.

This program will be held at the Transit Museum, which is located in a decommissioned subway station located at 99 Schermerhorn Street, on the corner of Boerum Place in Downtown Brooklyn. Please refer to this map for directions. Doors will open at 6pm and the program will begin promptly at 6:30pm.

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Photography and video recording are permitted at the Transit Museum. However, selfie sticks, external lighting, tripods and stands may not be used. All photographs taken are for personal use only and permission to photograph may be revoked at any time.

Refunds are not available for ticketed programs. Should you be unable to attend, the full price of unused tickets may be treated as a donation to the Transit Museum and is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. 

For information on American Sign Language interpreters, Assistive Listening Devices, or other accessibility matters please visit the accessibility page on the Museum’s website.