Search Results

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Place:

South Africa

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Warren M. Robbins Library, National Museum of African Art

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_87911

Interviewee:

Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988  Search this

Interviewer:

Ghent, Henri, 1926-  Search this

Names:

Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this

Holty, Carl, 1900-1973  Search this

Extent:

34 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 June 29

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Romare Bearden conducted 1968 June 29, by Henri Ghent, for the Archives of American Art.

Bearden speaks of his childhood in New York; the development of his artistic interests and ability; studying with George Grosz; his transition from cartoonist to painter; his first gallery show in Washington, D.C.; the influence of the Dutch masters; reactions to his work; his interest in gypsy culture; his travels; being a black artist; his work methods; and his future plans. He recalls the artist Carl Holty.

Biographical / Historical:

Romare Bearden (1911-1988) was painter from New York, New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 15 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Cartoonists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.bearde68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bearde68

Interviewee:

Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977  Search this

Interviewer:

Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-  Search this

Creator:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this

Harlem Artists Guild  Search this

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

United States. Federal Emergency Relief Administration  Search this

Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this

Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this

Pachano, Ernest  Search this

Schmoo, Aaron Ben  Search this

Extent:

39 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1965 September 28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Charles Alston conducted 1965 September 28, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project.

Alston speaks of his work as an art director of a community camp and as director of a boys' club in Harlem; the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and his involvement; the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and his involvement in it; his membership in the Harlem Artists Guild; his contribution to WPA Federal Art Project murals at Harlem Hospital; mural versus easel painting; problems with the Artists Union; and camaraderie among FAP artists. He recalls Lou Block, Stuart Davis, Burgoyne Diller, Edith Halpert, Jacob Lawrence, Ernest Pachano, Aaron Ben Schmoo, and others, and describes his associations with musicians including Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and Chick Webb.

Biographical / Historical:

Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977) was an African American painter and mural painter in New York, New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 24 minutes.

Provenance:

This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.alston65

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-alston65

Interviewee:

Gilliam, Sam, 1933-  Search this

Interviewer:

Forgey, Benjamin, art critic  Search this

Names:

Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this

District of Columbia Arts Center, Inc.  Search this

Jefferson Place Gallery  Search this

Washington Coalition of Artists  Search this

Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Washington Project for the Arts (D.C.)  Search this

Downing, Thomas, 1928-1985  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Krebs, Rockne, 1938-2011  Search this

Extent:

4 Items (Sound recording, sound cassettes)

54 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1989 Nov. 4-11

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Sam Gilliam conducted 1989 Nov. 4-11, by Ben Forgey for the Archives of American Art. Gilliam speaks of his decision to come to Washington, D.C., from Louisville, Ky.; his shift from figurative painting to abstract painting; meeting Washington painters Robert Gates and Tom Downing; the "stature" of Tom Downing in the Washington art scene in the 1960s and Walter Hopps' role; influential exhibitions at the Jefferson Place Gallery and the Washington Gallery of Modern Art; being a Washington artist and a black artist; artist/teachers at American University; the Johnson Avenue Workshop grant; his relationship with Rockne Krebs; the history of the Washington Coalition of Artists; the Corcoran Gallery and the Washington Project for the Arts' relationship to Washington artists; his involvement with the District of Columbia Art Center; teaching; and his working methods. Gilliam also discusses various paintings, processes, materials, ideas and experiments at length. He recalls Gene Davis, Howard Mehring, Ken Noland, Morris Louis, Nesta Dorrance, Alma Thomas, Lou Stovall, Al Nodal, Jock Reynolds, Michael Botwinick, Willem de Looper, Paul Reed, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Sam Gilliam (1933- ) was a painter of Washington, D.C.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Occupation:

Painters -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Art -- Technique  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

African American artists  Search this

African American painters  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.gillia89

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-gillia89

Interviewee:

Simpson, Merton D. (Merton Daniel), 1928-2013  Search this

Interviewer:

Murray, Albert, 1916-  Search this

Extent:

62 Pages (Transript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 November

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Merton D. Simpson conducted 1968 November, by Al Murray, for the Archives of American Art.

Biographical / Historical:

Merton D. Simpson (1928-2013) was a painter and art dealer from New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 4 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others. Funding for this interview provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.simpso68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-simpso68

Interviewee:

Sills, Thomas, 1914-  Search this

Interviewer:

Ghent, Henri, 1926-  Search this

Extent:

59 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 July 13

Scope and Contents:

Interview of Thomas A. Sills conducted 1968 July 13, by Henri Ghent, for the Archives of American Art.

Biographical / Historical:

Thomas A. Sills (1914-2000) was a painter in New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 1 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.sills68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-sills68

Interviewee:

Crite, Allan Rohan, 1910-2007  Search this

Creator:

Thompson, Susan C.  Search this

Interviewer:

Brown, Robert F.  Search this

Names:

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. School  Search this

Rambusch (Firm)  Search this

Rambusch Glass and Decorating Company  Search this

Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Extent:

179 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1979 January 16-1980 October 22

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Allan Rohan Crite conducted 1979 January 16-1980 October 22, by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art. Also participating in the interview is Crite's assistant, Susan Thompson.

Crite describes his family background and his youth in Boston. He gives great detail about his childhood interest in art and the art classes he took as a child, sharing drawings he did then with the interviewer. He remembers his art education at the Museum of Fine Arts School and involvement with the Society of Independent Artists. Crite discusses his ideas about the Episcopal church, his religious beliefs, and his interest in the liturgy and spirituals in his artwork. He recounts his engagement in the Navy, participation in the WPA, and work with the Rambusch Company. Crite describes paintings he did of street life in Black communities of Boston in the 1930s, a series of portraits, and paintings he did to illustrate spirituals and the Episcopal liturgy. He speaks about race relations and explains his motivations for an educational project in progress entitled, "The Cultural Heritage of the United States: a Rediscovery," promoting a multicultural view of American history. The last segment of the interview includes Susan Thompson, a fabric artist and close friend collaborating with Crite on projects mostly of a religious nature, including vestments and altar cloths.

Biographical / Historical:

Allan Rohan Crite (1910-2007) was a painter and illustrator from Boston, Massachusetts.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hr., 8 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Painters -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Illustrators -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Christian art and symbolism  Search this

African American artists  Search this

African American painters  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.crite79

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-crite79

Interviewee:

Crichlow, Ernest, 1914-2005  Search this

Interviewer:

Ghent, Henri, 1926-  Search this

Extent:

49 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 July 20

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Ernest Crichlow conducted 1968 July 20, by Henri Ghent, for the Archives of American Art in Brooklyn, New York.

Crichlow discusses his childhood in Brooklyn as the son of immigrants from Barbados, the ethnic mix of his community, and visiting black artists in Harlem. He speaks of meeting other black artists on the WPA and their efforts to get work during the Depression. Crichlow describes the intentions of his art and his interest in black subject matter, discrimination in the art world, and the political climate of the time.

Biographical / Historical:

Ernest T. Crichlow (1914-2005) was a painter from Brooklyn, New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 11 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others. Funding for the interview was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.crichl68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-crichl68

Interviewee:

Pollack, Peter, 1909-1978  Search this

Interviewer:

Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-  Search this

Creator:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (sound file (1 hr., 10 min.), digital, wav file)

24 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

circa 1964

Scope and Contents:

Interview of Peter Pollack, conducted by Harlan Philips for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, in 1964.

Pollack speaks of studying at the Art Institute of Chicago; starting a print gallery in Chicago; the political climate of the Chicago art world in the 1930s; running an art center for the WPA on the South Side of Chicago; and the African American art scene in Chicago. Pollack also recalls Edgar Britton, Julio de Diego, Holger Cahill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Sebree, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Peter Pollack (1909-1978) was a photographer and writer.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 10 min.

Sound quality is poor throughout; the first 5 minutes of the interview are mostly inaudible.

Provenance:

Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Authors -- Interviews  Search this

Photographers -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.pollac64

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-pollac64

Interviewee:

Piper, Adrian, 1948-  Search this

Interviewer:

Withers, Josephine  Search this

Extent:

87 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1990 Sept. 20

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Adrian Piper conducted 1990 Sept. 20, by Josephine Withers, for the Archives of American Art.

Biographical / Historical:

Adrian Piper (1948- ) is a conceptual artist and educator.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 2 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Rights:

Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce must be obtained from Adrian Piper

Occupation:

Conceptual artists -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Women artists -- Interviews  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Educators -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.piper90

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-piper90

Creator:

Parks, Gordon, 1912-2006  Search this

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Interviewer:

Doud, Richard Keith  Search this

Names:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

United States. Farm Security Administration  Search this

Stryker, Roy Emerson, 1893-1975  Search this

Extent:

19 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1964 Dec. 30

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Gordon Parks conducted 1964 Dec. 30, by Richard Doud, for the Archives of American Art, in New York, N.Y.

Parks speaks of his background; his early interest in photography; influences on him; his early career as a fashion photographer; joining the Farm Security Administration; his early impressions of the FSA; Roy Stryker's influence and guidance; how being Black and the experience of racism influenced his ability to relate to his subjects; memorable people he met during the FSA years; his post-FSA career, including his novels and his work for LIFE; and his opinions about the FSA's impact on people and on photography.

Biographical / Historical:

Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a filmmaker, author, photographer, and composer from New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 1 min.

Provenance:

This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Composers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art and race  Search this

Documentary photography  Search this

Photography  Search this

African American artists  Search this

African American photographers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.parks64

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-parks64

Interviewee:

Winbush, LeRoy, 1915-2007  Search this

Interviewer:

DeBose, Frank  Search this

Names:

African-American Artists in Chicago Oral History Project  Search this

South Side Community Art Center  Search this

Extent:

127 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1988 November 5-11

Scope and Contents:

An interview of LeRoy Winbush conducted 1988 November 5-11, by Frank DeBose, for the Archives of American Art African-American artists in Chicago oral history project (1988-1989).

Winbush speaks of his education and family life, working as a sign painter for Goldblatt Brothers department store, joining the Art Directors Club of Chicago, starting the design firm of Winbush and Associates, and his involvement with the South Side Community Art Center. He discusses racism and issues involving black artists. The interview concludes as he recalls his chairmanship of the 1959 International Design Conference.

Biographical / Historical:

LeRoy Winbush (1915-2007) is a designer from Chicago, Illinois.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 25 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.

Topic:

African American artists  Search this

Designers -- Illinois -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.winbus88

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-winbus88

Interviewee:

Johnson, Sargent, 1888-1967  Search this

Interviewer:

McChesney, Mary Fuller  Search this

Creator:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Bufano, Beniamino, 1898-1970  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound tape reel (Sound recordings (1 hour), 5 in.)

51 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound tape reels

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1964 July 31

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Sargent Johnson conducted 1964 July 31, by Mary McChesney, for the Archives of American Art.

Johnson recalls his early career and the work he did as part of the federal arts programs, both independently and under Beniamino Bufano.

Biographical / Historical:

Sargent Johnson (1888-1967) was a sculptor from San Francisco, Calif.

Provenance:

Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.johnso64

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-johnso64

Interviewee:

Clemmons, Walter, 1956-  Search this

Interviewer:

Lindsey, Jack  Search this

Extent:

65 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1990 July 26

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Walter Clemmons conducted 1990 July 26, by Jack Lindsey for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.

Clemmons speaks about the development of his wire art beginning with his work as a child; individual pieces created throughout his career including subjects and their sources; technical issues such as materials and methods; and his exhibition history.

Biographical / Historical:

Walter Clemmons (1956- ) is a sculptor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 27 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Folk artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Sculpture -- Technique -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.clemmo90

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-clemmo90

Interviewee:

Dinkins, Fitzhugh D., 1919-1993  Search this

Interviewer:

Boykin, Randson  Search this

Tyler, Anna, 1933-  Search this

Creator:

South Side Community Art Center  Search this

African-American Artists in Chicago Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

African-American Artists in Chicago Oral History Project  Search this

South Side Community Art Center  Search this

McVey, William Mozart, 1905-1995  Search this

Extent:

192 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1989 February 10-July 12

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Fitzhugh Dinkins conducted 1989 February 20-July 12, by Randson Boykin and Anna Tyler, for the Archives of American Art African-American artists in Chicago oral history project (1988-1989).

Dinkins speaks of his family background and early education; his apprenticeship with William McVey; his studies at Howard University, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Institute of Design; his military service; his work as art director of the Johnson Publishing Company; his affiliation with the design firm of Winbush and Associates; being an independent artist and entrepreneur; and teaching at Southside Community Art Center.

Biographical / Historical:

Fitzhugh D. Dinkins (1919-1993) was a painter from Chicago, Illinois.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav file. Duration is 5 hr., 34 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.

Occupation:

Painters -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this

Topic:

African American artists  Search this

African American painters  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.dinkin89

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-dinkin89

Collector:

Musical History, Division of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Musical History, Division of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Names:

Duke Ellington Orchestra  Search this

Washingtonians, The.  Search this

Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician)  Search this

Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this

Extent:

400 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Phonograph records

Papers

Photographic prints

Posters

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks

Music

Clippings

Awards

Audiotapes

Place:

New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century

Harlem (New York, N.Y.) -- 20th century

Washington (D.C.) -- 20th century

Date:

1903 - 1989

Summary:

The collection documents Duke Ellington's career primarily through orchestrations (scores and parts), music manuscripts, lead sheets, transcriptions, and sheet music. It also includes concert posters, concert programs, television, radio, motion picture and musical theater scripts, business records, correspondence, awards, as well as audiotapes, audiodiscs, photographs, tour itineraries, newspaper clippings, magazines, caricatures, paintings, and scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents:

Dating approximately from the time Duke Ellington permanently moved to New York City in 1923 to the time the material was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1988, the bulk of the material in the Duke Ellington Collection is dated from 1934-1974 and comprises sound recordings, original music manuscripts and published sheet music, hand-written notes, correspondence, business records, photographs, scrapbooks, news clippings, concert programs, posters, pamphlets, books and other ephemera. These materials document Ellington's contributions as composer, musician, orchestra leader, and an ambassador of American music and culture abroad. In addition, the materials paint a picture of the life of a big band maintained for fifty years and open a unique window through which to view an evolving American society.

The approximate four hundred cubic feet of archival materials have been processed and organized into sixteen series arranged by type of material. Several of the series have been divided into subseries allowing additional organization to describe the content of the material. For example, Series 6, Sound Recordings, is divided into four subseries: Radio and Television Interviews, Concert Performances, Studio Dates and Non-Ellington Recordings. Each series has its own scope and content note describing the material and arrangement (for example; Series 10, Magazines and Newspaper Articles, is organized into two groups, foreign and domestic, and arranged chronologically within each group). A container list provides folder titles and box numbers.

The bulk of the material is located in Series 1, Music Manuscripts, and consists of compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and other composers. Series 6, Sound Recordings also provides a record of the performance of many of these compositions. The materials in Series 2, Performances and Programs, Series 3, Business Records, Series 8, Scrapbooks, Series 9, Newspaper Clippings, Series 11, Publicity and Series 12, Posters provide documentation of specific performances by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Ellington was a spontaneous and prolific composer as evidenced by music, lyrical thoughts, and themes for extended works and plays captured on letterhead stationery in Series 3, Business Records, in the margin notes of individual books and pamphlets in Series 14, Religious Materials and Series 15, Books, and in the hand-written notes in Series 5, Personal Correspondence and Notes.

During its fifty-year lifespan, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra were billed under various names including The Washingtonians, The Harlem Footwarmers and The Jungle Band. The soloists were informally called "the band", and Series 3 includes salary statements, IOU's, receipts and ephemera relating to individual band members. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains the soloists' parts and includes "band books" of several soloists (for example; Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges) and numerous music manuscripts of Billy Strayhorn. The changing role of Strayhorn from arranger hired in 1938 to Ellington's main collaborator and composer of many well-known titles for Duke Ellington and His Orchestra including "Take The A' Train" and "Satin Doll" can be traced in these music manuscripts. Series 7, Photographs and Series 2, Performances and Programs contain many images of the band members and Strayhorn. This Collection also documents the business history of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 3, Business Records contains correspondence on letterhead stationery and Series 11, Publicity contains promotional material from the various booking agencies, professional companies, and public relations firms that managed the Orchestra.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection provide insight into public and institutional attitudes towards African Americans in mid-twentieth-century America. The business records in Series 3 beginning in 1938 and published sheet music in Series 1 depict Duke Ellington's progression from an African-American musician who needed "legitimization" by a white publisher, Irving Mills, to a businessmen who established his own companies including Tempo Music and Duke Ellington, Incorporated to control his copyright and financial affairs. Programs from the segregated Cotton Club in Series 2, Performances And Programs and contracts with no-segregation clauses in Series 3: Business Records further illustrate racial policies and practices in this time period. The public shift in perception of Duke Ellington from a leader of an exotic "Jungle Band" in the 1930s to a recipient of the Congressional Medal Of Freedom in 1970 is evidenced in Series 2, Performances And Programs, Series 12, Posters, Series 7, Photographs and Series 13, Awards. Reviews and articles reflecting Ellington's evolving status are also documented in Series 8, Newspaper Clippings, Series 9, Scrapbooks, Series 10, Newspaper and Magazine Articles.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection reflect rapid technological changes in American society from 1923-1982. Sound recordings in Series 6 range from 78 phonograph records of three minutes duration manufactured for play on Victrolas in monaural sound to long-playing (LP) phonograph records produced for stereo record players. Television scripts in Series 4, programs in Series 2 and music manuscripts (for example, Drum Is A Woman) in Series 1 demonstrate how the development of television as a means of mass communication spread the Orchestra's sound to a wider audience. The availability of commercial air travel enabled the Ellington Orchestra to extend their international performances from Europe to other continents including tours to Asia, Africa, South America and Australia and archival material from these tours is included in every series.

Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts and Series 6, Audio Recordings contain scripts and radio performances promoting the sale of United States War bonds during World War II, and Series 7, Photographs includes many images of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra's performances for military personnel revealing the impact of historic events on Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 2: Programs and Performances, Series 9, Newspaper clippings and Series 8, Scrapbooks document the 1963 Far East tour aborted as a result of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

The Duke Ellington Collection contains works by numerous twentieth-century music, literature, and art luminaries. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains original music manuscripts of William Grant Still, Eubie Blake, Mary Lou Williams, and others. Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts contains a play by Langston Hughes, and Series 12, Posters contains many original artworks.

Arrangement:

Series 1: Music Manuscripts, circa 1930-1981, undated

Series 2: Performances and Programs, 1933-1973, undated

Series 3: Business Records, 1938-1988

Series 4: Scripts and Transcripts, 1937-1970

Series 5: Personal Correspondence and Notes, 1941-1974, undated

Series 6: Sound Recordings, 1927-1974

Series 7: Photographs, 1924-1972, undated

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1931-1973

Series 9: Newspaper Clippings, 1939-1973, undated

Series 10: Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1940-1974

Series 11: Publicity, 1935-1988

Series 12: Posters and Oversize Graphics, 1933-1989, undated

Series 13: Awards, 1939-1982

Series 14: Religious Material, 1928-1974

Series 15: Books, 1903-1980

Series 16: Miscellaneous, 1940-1974

Biographical / Historical:

A native of Washington, DC, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899. Edward was raised in a middle-class home in the Northwest section of Washington described by his sister Ruth--younger by sixteen years--as a "house full of love." Ellington himself wrote that his father J.E. (James Edward) raised his family "as though he were a millionaire" but Edward was especially devoted to his mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington. In 1969, thirty-four years after his mother's death, Ellington accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with these words, "There is nowhere else I would rather be tonight but in my mother's arms." Both his parents played the piano and Ellington began piano lessons at the age of seven, but like many boys he was easily distracted by baseball.

In his early teens, Ellington sneaked into Washington clubs and performance halls where he was exposed to ragtime musicians, including James P. Johnson, and where he met people from all walks of life. He returned in earnest to his piano studies, and at age fourteen wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag" also known as "Poodle Dog Rag." Ellington was earning income from playing music at seventeen years of age, and around this time he earned the sobriquet "Duke" for his sartorial splendor and regal air. On July 2, 1918, he married a high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson; their only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Duke Ellington spent the first twenty-four years of his life in Washington's culturally thriving Negro community. In this vibrant atmosphere he was inspired to be a composer and learned to take pride in his African-American heritage.

Ellington moved to New York City in 1923 to join and eventually lead a small group of transplanted Washington musicians called "The Washingtonians," which included future Ellington band members, Sonny Greer, Otto Hardwicke and "Bubber" Miley. Between 1923 and 1927, the group played at the Club Kentucky on Broadway and the ensemble increased from a quintet to a ten-piece orchestra. With stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith as his unofficial guide, Ellington soon became part of New York's music scene; Smith proved to be a long-lasting influence on Duke's composing and arranging direction. At the Club Kentucky, Ellington came under the tutelage of another legendary stride pianist, "Fats" Waller. Waller, a protege of Johnson and Smith, played solos during the band's breaks and also tutored Ellington who began to show progress in his compositions. In November 1924, Duke made his publishing and recording debut with "Choo Choo (I Got To Hurry Home)" released on the Blu-Disc label. In 1925, he contributed two songs to Chocolate Kiddies, an all-black revue which introduced European audiences to black American styles and performers. By this time Ellington's family, Edna and Mercer, had joined him in New York City. The couple separated in the late 1920's, but they never divorced or reconciled.

Ellington's achievements as a composer and bandleader began to attract national attention while he worked at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, from 1927 to 1932. The orchestra developed a distinctive sound that displayed the non-traditional voicings of Ellington's arrangements and featured the unique talents of the individual soloists. Ellington integrated his soloists' exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, their high-squealed trumpets, their sultry saxophone blues licks and Harlem's street rhythms into his arrangements. In the promotional material of the Cotton Club, the band was often billed as "Duke Ellington and His Jungle Band." With the success of compositions like "Mood Indigo," and an increasing number of recordings and national radio broadcasts from the Cotton Club, the band's reputation soared.

The ten years from 1932 to 1942 are considered by some major critics to represent the "golden age" for the Ellington Orchestra, but it represents just one of their creative peaks. These years did bring an influx of extraordinary new talent to the band including Jimmy Blanton on double bass, Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, and Ray Nance on trumpet, violin and vocals. During this ten year span Ellington composed several of his best known short works, including "Concerto For Cootie," "Ko-Ko," "Cotton Tail," "In A Sentimental Mood," and Jump For Joy, his first full-length musical stage revue.

Most notably, 1938 marked the arrival of Billy Strayhorn. While a teenager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Strayhorn had already written "Lush Life," "Something To Live For" and a musical, Fantastic Rhythm. Ellington was initially impressed with Strayhorn's lyrics but realized long before Billy's composition "Take the A' Train" became the band's theme song in 1942 that Strayhorn's talents were not limited to penning clever lyrics. By 1942, "Swee' Pea" had become arranger, composer, second pianist, collaborator, and as Duke described him, "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine." Many Ellington/Strayhorn songs have entered the jazz canon, and their extended works are still being discovered and studied today. Strayhorn remained with the Ellington Organization until his death on May 30, 1967.

Ellington had often hinted of a work in progress depicting the struggle of blacks in America. The original script, Boola, debuted in Carnegie Hall in November of 1943, retitled Black, Brown and Beige. The performance met with mixed reviews, and although Ellington often returned to Carnegie Hall the piece was never recorded in a studio, and after 1944 was never performed in entirety again by the Ellington Orchestra. Nonetheless, it is now considered a milestone in jazz composition.

After World War II the mood and musical tastes of the country shifted and hard times befell big bands, but Ellington kept his band together. The band was not always financially self-sufficient and during the lean times Ellington used his songwriting royalties to meet the soloists' salaries. One could assign to Ellington the altruistic motive of loyalty to his sidemen, but another motivation may have been his compositional style which was rooted in hearing his music in the formative stage come alive in rehearsal. "The band was his instrument," Billy Strayhorn said, and no Ellington composition was complete until he heard the orchestra play it. Then he could fine tune his compositions, omit and augment passages, or weave a soloist's contribution into the structure of the tune.

In 1956, the American public rediscovered Duke and the band at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. The searing performances of tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves on "Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue," his premiere soloist, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges on "Jeep's Blues", and the crowd's ecstatic reaction have become jazz legend. Later that year Duke landed on the cover of Time magazine. Although Ellington had previously written music for film and television (including the short film, Black and Tan Fantasy in 1929) it wasn't until 1959 that Otto Preminger asked him to score music for his mainstream film, Anatomy of a Murder, starring Jimmy Stewart. Paris Blues in 1961, featuring box-office stars Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier in roles as American jazz musicians in Paris, followed.

Ellington's first performance overseas was in England in 1933, but the 1960s brought extensive overseas tours including diplomatic tours sponsored by the State Department. Ellington and Strayhorn composed exquisite extended works reflecting the sights and sounds of their travels, including the Far East Suite, 1966. They wrote homages to their classical influences; in 1963, they adapted Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and celebrated Shakespeare's works with the suite Such Sweet Thunder in 1957. With Ella Fitzgerald, they continued the Norman Granz Songbook Series. Ellington also began to flex his considerable pianist skills and recorded albums with John Coltrane (1963), Coleman Hawkins (1963), Frank Sinatra, and Money Jungle (1963) with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The First Sacred Concert debuted in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1965. In his final years, Ellington's thoughts turned to spiritual themes and he added a Second (1968) and Third (1973) Concert of Sacred Music to his compositions.

In his lifetime, Duke received numerous awards and honors including the highest honor bestowed on an American civilian, the Congressional Medal Of Freedom. In 1965, Ellington was recommended for a Pulitzer Prize to honor his forty years of contribution to music but the recommendation was rejected by the board. Most likely he was disappointed, but his response at the age of sixty-six was, "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young."

Ellington never rested on his laurels or stopped composing. Whenever he was asked to name his favorite compositions his characteristic reply was "the next five coming up," but to please his loyal fans Ellington always featured some of his standards in every performance. Even on his deathbed, he was composing the opera buffo called Queenie Pie.

Duke Ellington died on May 24, 1974 at seventy-five years of age. His funeral was held in New York's Cathedral of St. John The Divine; he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. His long-time companion Beatrice "Evie" Ellis was buried beside him after her death in 1976. He was survived by his only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, who not only took up the baton to lead the Duke Ellington Orchestra but assumed the task of caring for his father's papers and his legacy to the nation. Mercer Ellington died in Copenhagan, Denmark on February 8, 1996, at the age of seventy-six. Ruth Ellington Boatwright died in New York on March 6, 2004, at the age of eighty-eight. Both Mercer and Ruth were responsible for shepherding the documents and artifacts that celebrate Duke Ellington's genius and creative life to their current home in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

William H. Quealy Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings (AC0296)

Rutgers University Collection of Radio Interviews about Duke Ellington (AC0328)

Duke Ellington Oral History Project (AC0368)

Duke Ellington Collection of Ephemera and realated Audiovisual Materials (AC0386)

Annual International Conference of the Duke Ellington Study Group Proceedings (AC0385)

Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0388)

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Prints (AC0389)

New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection (AC390)

Earl Okin Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0391)

William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music (AC0406)

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415)

Music manuscripts in the Ruth Ellington Collection complement the music manuscripts found in the Duke Ellington Collection.

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422)

Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia (AC0494)

Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0502)

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0704)

Andrew Homzy Collection of Duke Ellington Stock Music Arrangements (AC0740)

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0763)

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240)

Materials at Other Organizations

Institute of Jazz Studies

Separated Materials:

Artifacts related to this collection are in the Division of Culture and the Arts and include trophies, plaques, and medals. See accessions: 1989.0369; 1991.0808; 1993.0032; and 1999.0148.

Provenance:

The collection was purchased through an appropriation of Congress in 1988.

Restrictions:

The 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.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.

Occupation:

Composers -- 20th century  Search this

Topic:

Big bands  Search this

Pianists  Search this

Bandsmen -- 20th century  Search this

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

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Music -- Performance  Search this

African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this

African Americans -- History  Search this

Popular music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

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

African American musicians  Search this

Genre/Form:

Phonograph records

Papers

Photographic prints

Posters

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Music -- Manuscripts

Clippings

Awards

Audiotapes

Citation:

Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding partially funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0301

See more items in:

Duke Ellington Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0301

Interviewee:

Webster, Sande  Search this

Interviewer:

Pacini, Marina  Search this

Names:

Sande Webster Gallery  Search this

Wallnuts Gallery  Search this

Extent:

139 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1990 March 13-28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Sande Webster conducted 1990 March 13-28, by Marina Pacini, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project. Webster speaks of her background and education; her experiences working at the Berg Art Gallery, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania; opening the Wallnuts Gallery in Philadelphia, in 1969, with Meryl Aberman, Sari Robinson, and Denis Webster; the evolution of the gallery from its early years handling crafts, photographs, paintings and sculptures, and framing; changes in the gallery's exhibition philosophy over the years; the departure of the other partners which led to the change in name of the gallery to the Sande Webster Gallery; the opportunities for artists of color in Philadelphia, particularly through her gallery, and she describes the history and evolution of Recherché, a group of African-American artists who exhibit together to gain greater visibility for black artists, the commercial and critical response to the group, and to each of its members. She discusses the commercial and critical response to the group and each of its members. She comments upon the Philadelphia gallery scene and changes over the past twenty years.

Biographical / Historical:

Sande Webster (1932- ) is an art dealer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Art dealers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Recherché (Group)  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Women art dealers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.webste90

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-webste90

Collection Collector:

Musical History, Division of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Collection Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Container:

Box 109 (Subseries 6.1), Item RTC1375-RTC1376

Type:

Archival materials

Audio

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

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.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.

Collection Citation:

Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding partially funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

See more items in:

Duke Ellington Collection

Duke Ellington Collection / Series 6: Sound Recordings / 6.1: Reference Cassettes

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref18711

Collector:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Photographer:

DeCarava, Roy  Search this

Collection Collector:

Musical History, Division of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Collection Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Culture:

African Americans  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

1924-1972, undated

Scope and Contents:

Contains black and white and color photographs, contact sheets, slides, and negatives documenting Duke Ellington's career as a musician and the evolution of the Duke Ellington Orchestra between 1924 and 1972. The photographs depict the orchestra and its various band members and singers in domestic concerts and international tours, Ellington with presidents and heads of state, Ellington's family, the Sacred Concerts, and publicity shots of Ellington.

Images of particular interest include Duke Ellington with Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and prominent musicians including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Leonard Bernstein, and Billy Strayhorn. The images also document places of interest where Ellington performed, such as Birdland, Westminster Cathedral, and the ancient theatre in Baghdad. Of particular interest are photographs of the original Cotton Club Orchestra and the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's first band.

The photographs are arranged into subject categories such as Awards, Band Members, Duke Ellington at the Piano, Friends and Associates, International Tours, Publicity, etc.

Miscellaneous photographs of musicians, concerts, etc. Includes work by famed photographer Roy de Carava, ca. 1960s (Box 1, folders 33, 34, and 35, and other locations in the series).

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with 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.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.

Occupation:

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Topic:

African American musicians  Search this

African American musicians  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 20th century -- Black-and-white photoprints

Collection Citation:

Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding partially funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0301, Series 7

See more items in:

Duke Ellington Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref18966

Names:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Collection Collector:

Musical History, Division of (NMAH, SI)  Search this

Collection Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (Silver gelatin on paper., approx. 8" x 6".)

Container:

Box 16 (Series 7), Folder 4

Box 17 (Series 7), Folder 1

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

1968 - 1968

Scope and Contents:

Photographer unidentified.

Arrangement:

Series 7, Box No. 7, Folder 10.

Local Numbers:

AC0301-0000029.tif (AC Scan No.)

Series Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with 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.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.

Topic:

Jazz musicians -- 1950-2000 -- United States  Search this

African Americans  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1960-1970 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding partially funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0301, File 7.7.44

See more items in:

Duke Ellington Collection

Duke Ellington Collection / Series 7: Photographs, Duke Ellington Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref19688