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Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera

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Catalog Data

Creator:
Shell, Theodore, Dr. (dentist)  Search this
Names:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
1.75 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Broadsides
Correspondence
Drawings
Sketches
Radio scripts
Articles
Programs
Clippings
Date:
1933-1990
Summary:
Periodical articles, news clippings, concert programs, radio transcripts, personal correspondence, broadsides, photographs, and pencil sketches collected by Dr. Shell. The material documents part of Duke Ellington's music career, especially ca. 1940-1974.
Scope and Contents:
The Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera contains autographs, concert programs, publicity booklets, conference materials, correspondence, periodicals, news clippings, photographs, play lists, transcripts of radio broadcasts and a variety of other ephemeral materials that document the life, career, and legacy of Duke Ellington, as well as the early history of Jazz. The collection is arranged alphabetically. Oversized materials are located at the end of the collection but are listed alphabetically within the container list. Items of particular interest include: a collection of programs, napkins, and menus autographed by Duke Ellington and other members of his orchestra including Johnny Hodges; concert programs spanning forty years of Ellington's career (1933-1973); a pencil-sketched portrait of Duke Ellington; and photographs of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, "Peg leg" Bates, Cat Anderson, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby, Russell Procope and many other Ellington band members taken or collected by Dr. Shell. There are radio broadcast transcripts that contain the scripts, play lists, and promotional spots from various Ellington radio performances between 1943 and 1946. Biographical notes document the life of one of Ellington's public relations agents, Jerome O. Rhea, and there are also some photographs that might possibly be of Rhea's family. Also of interest are a transcript of a meeting related to the organization of a Negro Baseball League and several hand-illustrated poems by African American poets, both of which are found in the Miscellaneous folder.
Biographical / Historical:
Dr. Theodore Shell (1915- ), dentist, "amateur" photographer and Ellington enthusiast, was born in Rahweh, New Jersey. He graduated from Shaw University in 1937 with a degree in science and chemistry, and he served five years in the U.S. Army's chemical warfare service during World War II in the European Theatre. In 1950 he received his dentistry degree from Howard University and began a practice in Washington D.C. Dr. Shell also held the position of Clinical Professor of Dentistry for 43 years at Howard. He retired in 1993. Dr. Shell first became interested in Ellington's music in 1952. He and Maurice Lawrence, a fellow member of the Omega Psi Phi National Fraternity, founded a Duke Ellington Club in 1956, and it eventually became Chapter 90 of the Ellington Society by 1962. Other founding members of this chapter include Grant Wright, Terrell Allen, and Juanita Jackson. Over the course of his activities with the Ellington Society, Dr. Shell had the privilege of meeting with Duke Ellington on numerous occasions, the first time being in 1964, and in 1971 he hosted Ellington's 72nd birthday party in his own home. Currently, Dr. Shell is serving as president of the organization.
Provenance:
Dr. Theodore Shell donated his collection of Duke Ellington ephemera to the National Museum of American History on November 17, 1993.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions. Contact the Archives Center.
Topic:
Jazz musicians -- 1940-1980 -- United States  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Music -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 20th century
Broadsides -- 1940-1980
Correspondence -- 1940-2000
Drawings -- 20th century
Sketches -- 1940-2000
Radio scripts -- 1940-1980
Articles -- 1940-1980
Programs -- 1940-1990
Clippings -- 20th century
Citation:
Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, 1933-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0502
See more items in:
Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89c1525b2-b339-4b08-a57d-33d7d5007799
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0502