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Creator:

Cron, Rosalind  Search this

International Sweethearts of Rhythm  Search this

Piney Woods School  Search this

Moon, Dixie Hardy  Search this

Hughes, Cathy  Search this

Names:

United Service Organizations (U.S.)  Search this

Woods, Helen Jones, 1923-2020  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (4 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Books

Newspaper clippings

Photographs

Publicity photographs

Date:

1933-2010

bulk 1939-1946

Summary:

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection focuses on the all-female, racially and ethnically diverse big band group that started in 1937 and disbanded in 1949. The collection contains news clippings, photographs, correspondence, ephemera from USO travels, and newsletters. Also included are books related to the group, as well as a tribute CD and a 33 rpm vinyl sound recording.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists mostly of photographs and news clippings documenting the International Sweethearts Band of Rhythm's performances, rehearsals, and travels. It also includes tribute materials to the band, including books and audio CDs.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into three series.

Series 1: Piney Woods School, 1937-1944

Series 2: Rosalind Cron Materials, 1933-2005

Series 3: Dixie Hardy Moon Materials, 1935-1951

Biographical / Historical:

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were a racially and ethnically mixed swing band, all of whose members were women. They were organized in 1937 by Laurence Clifton Jones, who started the Piney Woods School near Jackson, Mississippi. He formed the band from students at Piney Woods and the band toured to raise money for the school, performing at fairs, dance halls, churches, and theaters. In 1939, the band began to tour outside of Mississippi and traveled across the American South and Midwest. In 1941 they separated from Piney Woods, started out on their own as professional musicians and relocated to Arlington, Virginia. While in Arlington, the band recruited professional musicians to replace the underage students who stayed in school. The band's venues included the Apollo Theatre and Savoy Ballroom in New York and the Howard Theatre in Washington DC They performed frequently at military bases and were quite popular during World War II. In response to requests from GIs serving overseas, the Sweethearts undertook a six month tour of Europe starting in July 1945. The tour was supported by the United Service Organization (USO) Camp Shows. The band played in Paris, France and throughout Germany, including the cities of Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Munich, and Mannheim. The group disbanded in 1949, but reunited for a reunion in 1980 at the Third Annual Women's Jazz Festival in Kansas City.

Rosalin Cron was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1925 and began playing music at nine years old. She joined the band in 1943 and primarly played the alto saxophone, but was also trained to play the clarinet and flute. Cron was a part of the overseas tour. She was with the band until 1946. Dixie Hardy Moon is the niece of founder Laurence Clifton Jones. Catherine (Cathy) Hughes, was born in 1947 in Omaha, Nebraska. She is the granddaughter of founder Laurence Clifton Jones and her mother, Helen Jones Woods (1923-2020), played the trombone with the Sweethearts. Hughes is considered a media pioneer and founder of Radio One/TV One.

Provenance:

Collection donated to the Archives Center in 2011 by Rosalind Cron.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Bands (Music) -- 1940-1950  Search this

Big band music  Search this

Female (Musical group)  Search this

Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Musicians  Search this

Women musicians -- 1930-1950  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Genre/Form:

Books -- 20th century

Newspaper clippings

Photographs -- 20th century

Publicity photographs

Citation:

International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1218

See more items in:

International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85c88d041-4d07-4b7f-9c60-c4253dfad1a6

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1218

Photographer:

Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Subseries Creator:

Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this

Custom Craft  Search this

Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this

Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this

Extent:

1 Item

Container:

Box 61

Culture:

African Americans -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Place:

Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans

Scope and Contents:

Men in military uniforms precede a marching band.

Subseries Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view negatives due to cold storage. Using negatives requires a three hour waiting period. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.

Subseries Rights:

When the Museum purchased the collection from the Estate of Robert S. Scurlock, it obtained all rights, including copyright. The earliest photographs in the collection are in the public domain because their term of copyright has expired. The Archives Center will control copyright and the use of the collection for reproduction purposes, which will be handled in accordance with its standard reproduction policy guidelines. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Parades -- 1940-1950  Search this

Bands (Music) -- 1940-1950  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film

Subseries Citation:

Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The collection was acquired with assistance from the Eugene Meyer Foundation. Elihu and Susan Rose and the Save America's Treasures program, provided funds to stabilize, organize, store, and create digital surrogates of some of the negatives. Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

See more items in:

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives / 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin negatives

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a2c5951c-1464-4c0e-a867-3d2f1c2d0e6c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-01-ref1926

Collector:

Kovan, Florice Whyte  Search this

Author:

Whyte, Virgil (bandleader)  Search this

Names:

United Service Organizations (U.S.)  Search this

Virgil Whyte's "All-Girl" Band  Search this

Extent:

3 Cubic feet (11 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Postage stamps

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Postcards

Soap

Labels

Letterheads

Announcements

Clippings

Photomechanical prints

Photographs

Packages

Diaries

Place:

Racine (Wis.) -- 1940-1950

Date:

1942-1948, 1991-1993

Scope and Contents:

Includes 7 VHS videotapes and 1 audio tape produced by Florice Whyte Kovan, containing interviews and recollections by some band members. Studio portraits and snapshot photographs in 3 scrapbooks, which also contain display advertisements and newspaper clippings from about the band, 1940s. Snapshots include documentation of the band's travels and leisure activities while on the road, including swimming, horseback riding, etc. Packaged hotel soap bars collected by Betty Hansen during the bands' touring documents their itinerary, as do picture postcards written by Alice Smaus Jacoby.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1: Unmounted snapshots

Series 2: Scrapbooks

Series 3: Alice Smaus Jacoby's postcards

Series 4: Packaged soap samples

Series 5: Audiovisual Materials

Series 6: Framed Portrait Photoprints

Series 7: Oversized Photoprints

The scrapbook pages are arranged in original order, apparently partly chronological, but series 1 snapshots are in topical order.

Biographical / Historical:

Founded 1942 in Racine, Wis., by Virgil Whyte, his "all-girl" band was composed of young Racine women. Whyte was instructor, manager, and the initial leader on drums; later his sister Alice took over as drummer. After initial success in Racine and elsewhere in Wisconsin, the band began to accept engagements in other parts of the country, eventually touring the U.S. The band's success drew other acts and performers, including Jill Fontaine and the Wilford Mae Trio, Sam Hearn (known as "Schlepperman"), the Woodson Sisters, and Paul La Verre and Bro. They did U.S.O. tours, entertaining servicemen.

The principal donor, a free-lance researcher and writer, is the daughter of Virgil Whyte.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Florice Kovan, 1993.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Occupation:

Tap dancers -- 1940-1950  Search this

Topic:

Travel photography -- 1940-1950 -- U.S.  Search this

Barracks -- 1940-1950  Search this

Railroad passenger cars  Search this

Horseback riding -- 1940-1950  Search this

Singers -- 1940-1950  Search this

Comedians -- 1940-1950  Search this

Jazz musicians -- 1940-1950  Search this

Band music -- 1940-1950  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Musicians  Search this

Horses -- 1940-1950  Search this

Women musicians -- 1930-1950  Search this

Beaches -- 1940-1950  Search this

Swimming pools -- 1940-1950  Search this

Swimming -- 1940-1950  Search this

Jazz -- 1940-1950  Search this

Portraits -- Women  Search this

Genre/Form:

Postage stamps

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Postcards

Soap -- Packaged

Labels

Letterheads

Announcements

Clippings

Photomechanical prints

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950

Packages

Diaries

Citation:

Virgil Whyte's "All-Girl" Band Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0503

See more items in:

Virgil Whyte "All-Girl" Band Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep862348874-be31-467f-81fb-a872a712966b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0503

Photographer:

Whyte, Virgil (bandleader)  Search this

Names:

Musigals.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Kovan, Florice Whyte  Search this

Collection Author:

Whyte, Virgil (bandleader)  Search this

Extent:

2 Items (photoprints, approx. 2" x 4".)

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

[ca. 1942.]

Scope and Contents:

2 photoprints from same negative, 1 with margins, the other with margins trimmed off. Pencil identifications on verso of untrimmed print. Shows touring band standing beside their bus. As Virgil Whyte is not shown, he may have taken the photograph.

Local Numbers:

96-2288 (OPPS Neg.)

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research use on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with cotton gloves.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Women musicians -- 1930-1950  Search this

Bands (Music) -- 1940-1950  Search this

Buses -- 1940-1950  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1940-1950 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

Virgil Whyte's "All-Girl" Band Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Virgil Whyte "All-Girl" Band Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e5d9fac8-bf19-4b50-b8c0-debcb5eb439f

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0503-ref559