Richard Roundtree and Whoopi Goldberg. Melvin Van Peebles and Whitney Houston. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Lena Horne.

A university in Indiana is preserving the work of these black actors and film directors. And a sampling of movie posters from the films that made them stars is being displayed at The Grace Museum.

"Imaging Blackness, 19152002: Film Posters from the Indiana University Black Film Center/Archive" includes 43 posters from modern-day films, long-forgotten movies shown in a relative handful of theaters, and other films created by black actors and directors.

The collection goes back to the early 20th century, and traces the development of black cinema through the current decade. Posters advertise movies made specifically for black audiences, popular favorites, low-budget action films from the 1970s, and documentaries about black Americans.

It's full movie poster collection includes films ranging from popular comedies ("The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings"), forgotten Westerns from the 1920s ("Black Gold"), films from the "blaxploitation" era ("Shaft," "Blacula") and mainstream hits ("Waiting to Exhale"). A portion of the collection is being seen in Abilene.

According to the Black Film Center/Archive's Web site, the archive was established in 1981 as a repository of films and related materials by and about African Americans. The films either were made by blacks, or the subjects of the films were about black Americans.

"Imaging Blackness" is on display in Galleries B and C on The Grace's second floor.