Discover over 2,000 works of Black art and cultural history, built over decades and now available for exhibition, institutional partnership, and acquisition.
Curated works spanning generations,
continents, and untold stories.
"Art is how we remember. Culture is what we pass on."
My father, Keith "Poppy" Williams (1941–2010), spent 23 years quietly building an extraordinary collection of more than 2,000 pieces of Black art, cultural artifacts, historical documents, and memorabilia gathered during his tenure as International Treasurer for Levi Strauss & Co., traveling across Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Now stewarded by his daughter, the collection is being made available to collectors, institutions, and the public in new ways that honor a legacy built piece by piece, decade by decade.
This is not a gallery. It is not a shop. It is a living archive, and you are invited in.
Visit the full archive →Works of art and artifacts spanning over a century of Black history and culture
Educational institutions, museums, and cultural partners shaping the ecosystem we are building
Young people, ages 15–25, we aim to engage and inspire over the next three years
Work with us on educational, cultural, and institutional initiatives. Students engage with actual objects as academic entry points into history, culture, and lived experience.
Learn More →Place original works within private, corporate, and institutional collections.
Explore →Access the collection through carefully produced prints, making these works available to a wider audience.
Discover →
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: BRUNI
"My father believed Armstrong represented what Black excellence looks like when the world finally pays attention. This was always one of his centerpieces."
PAINTINGS
"He loved artists who refused to compromise their artistry. Betty Carter was exactly that — brilliant and underrepresented."
VINTAGE POSTER
"Dunham was a dancer AND an anthropologist who built bridges between Africa and Black America. My father saw himself in that mission of connection."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: LUCY CAMPBELL
"Music is the through-line of Black cultural expression. He collected musicians because their stories were inseparable from the history of Black survival and joy."
PAINTINGS
"This is the piece I always come back to. A young Black child, music, joy — this is who we are doing all of this for."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: BOYMOLEFE (SOUTH AFRICA)
"A South African artist. My father traveled the world for Levi's and collected intentionally across the diaspora — this piece is proof of that global vision."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: PATRICK MCNURNEY
"This one represented pure, uncomplicated pride in African identity to him. He made sure it had a place in the collection."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: J. DUNNEST
"Black women, community, tribal styling — he saw this as a portrait of strength and shared purpose across cultures and generations."
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
"My father kept historical documents because he believed you cannot understand where you are going if you don't know what was survived to get here."
PRINTS · CURRIER & IVES / JOSEPH KOEHLER, NEW YORK
"This is one of the hardest pieces to look at. He kept it because he felt young people deserve to know this is what mainstream American art looked like."
FIGURINES · DOMESTIC ARTIFACTS
"These sat in millions of American kitchens. He wanted people to see how racial mockery was normalized through objects people didn't even think to question."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: KAREN WILSON
"Original art. A living legend rendered by a dedicated artist. Black womanhood and jazz in a single expressive frame — this piece vibrates with presence."
PAINTINGS · ARTIST: J.
"Family. Continuity. Before my father passed, he told us he wanted his collection to keep teaching. This piece is that wish made visible."
DRAWING · ARTIST: DAVID HODGE
"Blake bridged ragtime to Broadway and lived to 96 — a life that touched nearly every era of Black musical history."
FIGURINES · MADE IN ENGLAND
"The tension between the music and the mockery is exactly what needs to be taught."
It is access to something rare. A privately held collection of over 2,000 works spanning 100 years of Black history. Assembled by a Harvard-educated global executive who cared more about legacy than recognition.
"This collection was built to be shared. We invite you to collaborate with Poppy's Collection to expand access, support learning, and preserve this history for generations to come."
Be the first to see newly released works, exhibitions, and print drops. The collection moves quietly. This is how you stay close to it.