Search Results

Creator:

Zilczer, Judith  Search this

Names:

Armory Show (1913: New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this

Coady, Robert J., 1881-1921  Search this

Dasburg, Andrew, 1887-1979  Search this

Dawson, Manierre, 1887-1969  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Hartmann, Sadakichi, 1867-1944  Search this

Linder, Richard  Search this

Munson, Gorham Bert, 1896-1969  Search this

Quinn, John, 1870-1924  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Extent:

0.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

1910-1995

bulk 1973-1995

Summary:

The papers of curator, art historian, and author Judith Zilczer measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1910-1995, with the bulk of material dated 1973-1995. The papers contain project files and related correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, photographs, and printed material documenting her research as an independent art historian.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of curator, art historian, and author Judith Zilczer measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1910-1995, with the bulk of material dated 1973-1995. The papers contain project files and related correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, photographs, and printed material documenting her research as an independent art historian.

This collection documents the correspondence and research of Judith Zilczer pertaining to her doctoral dissertation, The Aftermath of the Armory Show, 1913-1918, where she examines the arguments of both artists and critics over the question of abstraction in art during the early period of the twentieth century. Research files include information on Sadakichi Hartmann, Thomas H. Benton, Manierre Dawson, Andrew Dasburg, John Quinn, Alfred Stieglitz, Michael Brenner, Robert J. Coady and Gorham Munson. Project files document Synchromism, the Forum Exhibit and the Hartley Symposium at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Richard Lindner Exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum. Written transcripts include "Robert J. Cody, Man of the Soil" and "Musical Analogy". Researchers should note that this collection does not include a copy of her doctoral thesis.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 2 series.

Series 1: Project Files, 1910-1995 (Box 1; 21 folders)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1980s (Box 1; 3 folders)

Biographical / Historical:

Judith Zilczer (1948-) was an art historian, author, and Curator Emerita of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C. She organized more than two dozen exhibitions in her twenty-nine years at the museum, where she served as Historian, Curator of Paintings, and Acting Chief Curator. Her exhibition publications include Willem de Kooning from the Hirshhorn Museum Collection (1993), Richard Lindner: Paintings and Watercolors, 1948-1977 (1996), and Visual Music: Synaesthesia in Art and Music Since 1900 (2005). A 1975 graduate of the doctoral program of the University of Delaware, she wrote her thesis on The Aftermath of the Armory Show 1913-1918. She has received numerous awards, including the 2006 George Wittenborn Memorial Book Award of the Art Libraries Society of North America. Dr. Zilczer has written and lectured widely on modern and contemporary art and is a leading authority on the art of Willem de Kooning.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Paul Allen Reed conducted by Judith Zilczer, April 29, 1994.

Additionally, Papers relating to art commissioned for the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1992-1998, donated by Judith Zilczer, can be found at Archives of American Art.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives in Washington, D.C. holds a large collection of Judith K. Zilczer Papers, 1975-2003.

Provenance:

Creator Judith Zilczer donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 2014.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

Art historians -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

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

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

Topic:

Art, Abstract  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Synchromism (Art)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Citation:

Judith Zilczer papers, 1910-1995, bulk 1973-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.zilcjudt

See more items in:

Judith Zilczer papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91d3ed8fb-2459-49cf-9a13-836bd7628aa0

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-zilcjudt

Interviewee:

Sun Ra  Search this

Gaskin, Leonard, 1920-  Search this

Taylor, Billy  Search this

Sullivan, Maxine, 1911-1987  Search this

Wells, Ronnie  Search this

Whiting, Margaret  Search this

Towers, Jack  Search this

Venuti, Joe, 1903-1978  Search this

Pullen, Don, 1941-  Search this

Roney, Wallace  Search this

Pizzarelli, Bucky, 1926-  Search this

Pizzarelli, John, 1960-  Search this

Shaw, Artie, 1910-2004  Search this

Shepp, Archie, 1937-  Search this

Sanders, Pharaoh  Search this

Grant, Felix, 1918-1993  Search this

Scott, Jimmy  Search this

McPhail, Jimmy  Search this

McPartland, Marian  Search this

McFerrin, Bobby  Search this

Krall, Diana  Search this

O'Connell, Helen  Search this

Mulligan, Gerry  Search this

Metheny, Pat  Search this

McShann, Jay  Search this

Horn, Shirley, 1934-  Search this

Hinton, Milt, 1910-2000  Search this

Hill, Andrew, 1937-  Search this

Hendricks, Jon, 1921-  Search this

Keane, Helen  Search this

Kaminsky, Max, 1908-  Search this

Jordan, Sheila, 1928-  Search this

Humes, Helen, 1913-1981  Search this

Hampton, Lionel  Search this

Harris, Eddie, 1934-  Search this

Heath, Jimmy, 1926-  Search this

Frishberg, Dave  Search this

Ennis, Ethel  Search this

Farmer, Art, 1928-  Search this

Flanagan, Tommy, 1930-  Search this

Hampton, Slide  Search this

D'Rivera, Paquito, 1948-  Search this

Daniels, Billy  Search this

Davison, Bill  Search this

Donegan, Dorothy, 1922-  Search this

Crouch, Stanley, 1945-2020  Search this

Conyers, John, 1929-  Search this

Cruz, Celia, 1920-  Search this

Byard, Jaki  Search this

Brown, Ruth  Search this

Carter, Betty, 1930-  Search this

Byron, Don  Search this

Betts, Keter, 1928-  Search this

Bellson, Louis  Search this

Bowie, Lester, 1941-  Search this

Blakey, Art, 1919-1990  Search this

Allen, Steve, 1921-2000  Search this

Adderly, Nat, 1931-  Search this

Bailey, Benny, 1925-  Search this

Collector:

Stokes, W. Royal, Dr., 1930-  Search this

Names:

Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971  Search this

Davis, Miles  Search this

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-  Search this

Extent:

10 Cubic feet (39 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Photographs

Publicity photographs

Date:

1940s-2005

Summary:

Publicity photographs of musicians and entertainers, mostly jazz musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie, but including many rock and even a few classical performers. The collection also contains tape recorded radio interviews conducted between 1970 and 2003. In addition there are posters relating to musical performances.

Scope and Contents:

This collection was formed by W. Royal Stokes in the course of his professional work as a music and arts critic. It is composed primarily of publicity portraits of musical performers, both single acts and groups. The emphasis is on jazz musicians and singers, although many rock stars and groups, and other popular musical performers are included. Even a few classical musicians are represented. The pictures are primarily mass-produced black and white publicity photographs distributed to newspapers, writers, etc., by agents for entertainment personalities. Some prints were made from the original negatives, while others clearly were made from copy negatives after typography was stripped together with a print and re-photographed. However, there are some rarer original photographs included in the collection, such as personal color snapshots, higher quality prints by art photographers, etc. Nearly all the prints are unmounted, and are 8 x 10 inches or smaller in size. The bulk of the photographs date from circa 1970 to 2000, however, a number of the earlier photographs are included as well as slightly later examples.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into nine series.

Series 1, Photographs of Musicians and Ensembles, circa 1970-2000; undated

Subseries 1.1, Musicians and Ensembles

Subseries 1.2, Recording Company Photographs

Subseries 1.3, Unidentified Musicians

Series 2, Photographs of Performances, 1987-2002; undated

Subseries 2.1, Music Festivals, 1987-2002; undated

Subseries 2.2, Concerts, Music Clubs and Other Venues, 1920s-1940s and circa 1980s-1990s; undated

Series 3, Formal and Informal Groups, circa 1980s-2000; undated

Series 4, Photographs of Musicians in Films, Radio, Television and Theater, 1940s-2000; undated Series 5, Photographs of Subjects and Products related to Musicians and Music, 1970-2000; undated

Series 6, Photographs of Non-Musicians, circa 1980s-2000; undated

Series 7, Interviews with Musicians, 1970-2003

Series 8, Audiovisual Materials, 1970-2003

Subseries 8.1, Audio Recordings - Audiocassettes

Subseries 8.2, Audio Recordings-Audiotapes

Series 9, Posters, 1976-1990; undated

Biographical / Historical:

Born in Washington, D.C., W. Royal Stokes served in the Army and then embarked on an academic career, teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, Tufts University, Brock University and the University of Colorado. He left the academic profession in 1969 and become a writer, broadcaster and lecturer, journalist, and critic and authority on jazz music. A follower of jazz since his teens in the 1940s, Stokes has written about music for such publications as Down Beat, Jazz Times, and the Washington Post, and hosted the public radio shows "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say . . ." and "Since Minton's". Today he is the editor of the quarterly Jazz Notes, and is the author of The Jazz Scene: An Informal History From New Orleans to 1990 and Swing Era New York: The Jazz Photographs of Charles Peterson.. He is also the author of Living the Jazz Life: Conversations with Forty Musicians about Their Careers in Jazz (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000). Dr. Stokes lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of Ameican History:

Duke Ellington Collection, 1928-1988 (AC0301)

Herman Leonard Photoprints, 1948-1993

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Reference Prints [copyprints], 1923-1972

Jazz Oral History Collection, 1988-1990

Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection, 1910s-1970s (mostly 1930s-1960s)

Jeffrey Kliman Photographs

Stephanie Myers Jazz Photographs, 1984-1987, 2005

Chico O'Farrill Papers

Paquito D'Rivera Papers, 1989-2000.

Louis Armstrong Music Manuscripts, undated

Tito Puente Papers, 1962-1965.

Audrey Wells "Women in Jazz Radio Series, 1981-1982

Mongo Santamaria Papers, 1965-2001

Ramsey Lewis Collection, 1950-2007

Earl Newman Collection of Monterey Jazz Festival Posters, 1963-2009

James Arkatov Collection of Jazz Photographs, 1995-2003

Francis Wolff Jazz Photoprints, 1953-1966

Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection, circa 1920s-2006

Jazz Oral History Program Collection, 1992-2009

Leslie Schinella Collection of Gene Krupa Materials

Provenance:

Donated by W. Royal Stokes to the Archives Center in 2001.

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:

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

Musicians  Search this

Publicity  Search this

Portraits -- Musicians  Search this

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

Entertainers  Search this

Rock music  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000

Publicity photographs

Citation:

W. Royal Stokes Collection of Jazz Musicians' Photographs, ca. 1970-2000, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0766

See more items in:

W. Royal Stokes Collection of Music Photoprints and Interviews

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b79b5a94-c967-451e-bafb-e62dc2d8ff45

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0766

Creator:

Battcock, Gregory, 1937-1980  Search this

Names:

Bronx Museum of the Arts  Search this

International Association of Art Critics  Search this

Trylon & perisphere  Search this

William Paterson College of New Jersey -- Faculty  Search this

Battcock, Elizabeth  Search this

Beker, Gisela  Search this

Brown, Cee  Search this

Burton, Scott  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976 -- Photographs  Search this

Carsman, Jon, 1944-  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Dalí, Salvador, 1904-1989  Search this

Dreva, Jerry, 1945-1997  Search this

Frank, Peter, 1950-  Search this

George, John  Search this

Glusberg, Jorge  Search this

Goldstein, Al  Search this

Halbert, Jacques  Search this

Hess, Emil, 1889-1945  Search this

Levine, Les, 1935-  Search this

Livingston, Braniff  Search this

McGeehan, Robert, 1933-  Search this

Morley, Malcolm, 1931-  Search this

Nakagawa, Naoto, 1944-  Search this

Neri, Julio  Search this

Paik, Nam June, 1932-2006  Search this

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974  Search this

Peña, Rolando, 1942-  Search this

Picard, Lil  Search this

Pocock, Philip  Search this

Schult, Ha, 1939-  Search this

Van Baron, Judith  Search this

Varble, Stephen  Search this

Warhol, Andy, 1928-  Search this

Wechter, Vivienne Thaul  Search this

Whyte, Ron  Search this

Extent:

10.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Diaries

Photographs

Interviews

Date:

1952-circa 1980

Summary:

The papers of New York art critic, writer, educator, and painter, Gregory Battcock, measure 10.6 linear feet and date from 1952 to circa 1980. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, published and unpublished writings, artists' files, personal business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographic materials, and artifacts that detail his involvement in both the mainstream and fringe art scenes of the 1970s.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York art critic, writer, educator, and painter, Gregory Battcock, measure 10.6 linear feet and date from 1952 to circa 1980. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, published and unpublished writings, artists' files, personal business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographic materials, and artifacts that detail his involvement in both the mainstream and fringe art scenes of the 1970s.

Biographical materials contain address lists, six appointment books, a diploma and certificate, family history, identification documents, interviews, resumes, obituaries, a William Paterson College of New Jersey teaching file, and membership files for The Bronx Museum, International Association of Art Critics, and other organizations. Correspondence is with Battcock's mother, Elizabeth; friends and colleagues Peter Frank, John George, Al Goldstein, Braniff Livingston, Robert McGeehan, Julio Neri, Judith Van Baron, Ron Whyte, and others regarding social events, reprint permissions, book projects, travel arrangements, real estate, and freelance work.

Writings and notes include personal journal entries, drafts for articles and essays, manuscripts for published and unpublished works including "The Story of Film" and Breaking the Sound Barrier: A Critical Anthology of the New Music, his dissertation titled "Constructivism and Minimal Art: Some Critical, Theoretical and Aesthetic Correlations," book proposals, lectures, limericks, restaurant reviews, notes and writings by Jorge Glusberg and Vivienne Thaul Wechter.

Files for artists contain mostly printed material on Gisela Beker, Cee Brown, Jon Carsman, Christo, Jerry Dreva, Jacques Halbert, Emil Hess, Les Levine, Naoto Nakagawa, Nam Jun Paik, Harry Partch, Lil Picard, Philip Pocock, HA Schult, Andy Warhol, and others. The file for Salvador Dalí contains one video recording. Battcock's personal business records include contracts and payments for his writing, real estate papers, business agreements, papers regarding his father's estate, a loan agreement for Andy Warhol's "Self Portrait," and files detailing the theft of two painting by Malcom Morley from Battcock's residence.

Found in printed materials are clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, flyers, post cards, magazines, press releases, issues of Trylon & Perisphere and Gay magazines, and other material that features Battcock's writings. Additional clippings of Battcock's writings that appeared in the New York Free Press, New York Review of Sex and Politics, Domus, The Soho Weekly News, New York Arts Journal, Gay, and other publications are contained in ten scrapbooks.

Photographs are of Battcock, colleagues and friends, works of art from his personal collection, travel, and artists Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Nam Jun Paik, Julio Neri, Rolando Peña, Stephen Varble, and Scott Burton. Several keys with a detached keychain labeled 'studio' are in artifacts.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 9 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1958-1980 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1960s-circa 1980 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, 12)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1966-1980 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 4-6)

Series 4: Artists' Files, 1960s-1980 (0.6 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1966-1980 (0.5 linear feet; Box 6-7)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1952-1980 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 12-13)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1959-1980 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 8-9, 12)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, 1960s-1980 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)

Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1970s (0.1 linear feet; Box 11)

Biographical / Historical:

Gregory Battcock (1937-1980) was an art critic, writer, educator, and painter from New York, N.Y. He attended Michigan State University, the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, and Hunter College for his undergraduate and graduate studies before receiving his Ph.D. from New York University in 1978. His dissertation was titled "Constructivism and Minimal Art: Some Aesthetic, Theoretical and Critical Correlations."

Battcock was a prolific writer and wrote numerous articles as a correspondent for Art & Artists and Domus magazines. His column, "The Last Estate," appeared in Gay magazine as well as other publications. In 1977, Battcock co-founded the short-lived magazine, Trylon & Perisphere, with his close friend, playwright Ron Whyte. Even though only three issues were printed, the magazine exhibited Battcock's predilection for art society gossip, and provocative imagery and prose. E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. published several of Battcock's books including Why Art: Casual Notes on the Aesthetics of the Immediate Past, Breaking the Sound Barrier: A Critical Anthology of the New Music, and Idea Art: A Critical Anthology. In addition to his writing career, Battcock taught fine art at William Paterson College of New Jersey, was art critic for New York Free Press from 1967 to 1970, Editor-in-Chief of Arts Magazine from 1973 to 1975, and appeared in the Andy Warhol films The Illiac Passion, Horse, and Batman Dracula.

Battcock was murdered in Puerto Rico on December 25, 1980. At the time of his death he was working on "The Story of Film," which remains unpublished, and The Art of Performance: A Critical Anthology, which was published posthumously in 1984.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American Art is an audio interview recorded on December 11, 1969 with Gregory Battcock for the University Roundtable radio series. The recording forms part of the WFUV radio interviews relating to art, 1969-1973 collection.

Provenance:

The Gregory Battcock papers were donated in 1992 by Nancy Mahl, an artist who occupied a studio in Jersey City, N.J. that had formerly been leased by a moving and storage company, and who came upon Battcock's papers in the building. The papers had been shipped to the Jersey City building without the knowledge of Ron Whyte (executor of Battcock's estate) and the Rev. Paul William Bradley, who had arranged to have Battcock's papers stored after his death. Additional papers were donated 2003 by Rev. Paul W. Bradley, who inherited the papers after the death of his partner Ron Whyte.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Topic:

Constructivism (Art)  Search this

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

Minimal art  Search this

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

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

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art thefts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Diaries

Photographs

Interviews

Citation:

Gregory Battcock Papers, 1952-circa 1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

AAA.battgreg

See more items in:

Gregory Battcock papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9173ed1ab-2aac-4e20-85fe-1a96e7acf785

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-battgreg

Collector:

Sidney, George, 1916-2002  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment  Search this

Names:

Columbia Pictures  Search this

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Search this

Paramount Pictures  Search this

Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986  Search this

Margret, Ann-, 1941-  Search this

Robinson, Edward G., 1893-1973  Search this

Sidney, George, 1877-1945  Search this

Sidney, Hazel Mooney  Search this

Sidney, Louis K.  Search this

Sullivan, Ed, 1901-1974  Search this

Donor:

Sidney, Corinne Entratter  Search this

Extent:

54 Film reels

96 Cubic feet (288 boxes, 6 oversize folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Film reels

Photographs

Place:

Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Date:

1885-2002

bulk 1940-1967

Summary:

George Sidney (1916-2002) was a film director during the Golden Age of Hollywood filmmaking (1927-1954). He spent the longest period of his career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) until the 1950s. He later produced and directed films for Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures. He was a president of the Directors Guild of America and an avid photographer. He was the recipient of three awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar). The collection consists of photographs, photographic negatives, personal and business materials, and film. The collection also contains material created by George Sidney's uncle, George Sidney, vaudevillian and motion picture actor.

Scope and Contents:

The George Sidney Collection consists of approximately eighty-eight cubic feet of photographs and materials from the Hollywood director George Sidney, most dealing with his career in motion pictures. Sidney was an avid photographer and collector of photographs documenting extremely well the Hollywood film community during the Studio Era (1927-1954) of filmmaking. The bulk of the collection is from Sidney's most productive years, circa 1937-1968.

MGM's motto was "More Stars than there are in Heaven" and the researcher would be advised that the extent of this collection is such that it is impossible to list and identify all of the celebrities and personalities photographed, both behind and in front of the camera. There are stills from Sidney's many productions as well as his on-set personal photographs. There are photographs from dinner parties, and many studio and film community functions. Productions are dated to their generally accepted first theatrical release date (Los Angeles and New York) and in the case of a Broadway show to their opening date.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Photographs, Photographic Negatives, and Slides, 1914-1996, undated.

Subseries 1.1: The Camera Eye of George Sidney, undated.

Subseries 1.2: Productions (Motion Picture, Stage, and Radio), 1921-1968. Subseries 1.3: Personalities and People, 1932-1996, undated.

Subseries 1.4: Personal and Family, 1914-1992, undated.

Subseries 1.5: Family Photograph Albums and Scrapbooks, 1918-1950, undated.

Subseries 1.6: Travel and Locations, 1940-1981, undated.

Subseries 1.7: Studio, Entertainment, and Public Events, 1949-1995, undated.

Subseries 1.8: Tests, 1938-1967, undated.

Subseries 1.9: Photographic Negatives, 1937-1979, undated

Series 2: Production Ephemera, Posters, Scripts, 1930-1991, undated.

Subseries 2.1: Production Posters, 1943-1964, undated

Subseries 2.2: Production Ephemera and Scripts, 1930-1991, undated

Series 3: Office Files and Personal Material, 1903-2002, undated

Subseries 3.1: Personal Material, 1944-2002, undated

Subseries 3.2: Correspondence, Random Files, Indices, and Inventories, 1903-2002, undated

Series 4: Music Manuscripts, Sheet Music, and Music Related Material, 1885-1992, undated

Subseries 4.1: Music Manuscripts, 1937-1960, undated

Subseries 4.2: Sheet Music, 1885-1990

Subseries 4.3: Music Related Material, 1971-1992, undated

Series 5: Audiovisual, 1933-2001, undated

Subseries 5.1: Film, 1940-1960, undated

Subseries 5.2: Audio, 1933-2001, undated

Subseries 5.3: Video, 1989-2001, undated

Series 6: George Sidney (1877-1945), 1909-1945, undated

Biographical / Historical:

George E. Sidney was born in New York, New York on October 4th, 1916 into a show business family. His father Louis K. Sidney (birth surname Kronowith) (1891-1958) was a Broadway producer, actor-manager, and one of the vice-presidents of Loew's Incorporated. Sidney's mother, Hazael Mooney (?-1969), was a vaudeville performer, part of a sister act known as The Mooney Sisters. She was a native New Yorker, daughter of prominent New York City attorney Henry Mooney. She and Louis were married at her home, 12 West 109th Street, New York. Another residence was 179 West 63rd Street.

Louis K. Sidney began working for Loew's Incorporated in 1923. He managed theatres in Denver, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Dayton, and New York. Later he was in charge of stage productions for the theatre circuit. He was in charge of MGM's East Coast film production facility in New York. He and Hazael followed son George to Los Angeles in 1937. Louis produced two motion pictures at MGM, The Big Store with the Marx Brothers and Hullabaloo. After February 1951, he was a member of the four man executive committee in charge of MGM. At his retirement in 1955, Louis K. had risen to the position of vice-president of Loew's, Incorporated. He served as vice-president and director of the Motion Picture Producers Association, as a director of the Motion Picture Relief Fund, and the Hollywood Coordinating Committee.

George Sidney had two uncles in show business, Jack Sidney, known as "Jack of Spades" a black-face comedian, and Sidney's half-uncle, George Sidney (1877-1945) (real name Samuel Greenfield), a vaudeville comic. George had a successful Broadway and screen career, most notably as the bum, Busy Izzy, a character that lasted on the vaudeville circuit from 1901-1915. His initial Broadway success was in a show entitled Welcome Stranger that ran for 309 performances. Welcome Stranger had an extensive touring schedule across the United States. In conjunction with Charlie Murray, he developed a comedy act known as Cohen and Kelly that was not only a vaudeville success but easily made the transition to motion pictures. The Cohens and Kellys films became a motion picture franchise for Universal Studios in 1924. He was married to Carrie Weber (?-1940). George was a member of the Friars Club and an avid sports fan. He owned a racehorse named Kibbitzer.

George Sidney made his on-screen debut in The Littlest Cowboy (1921) starring Tom Mix. He moved to Los Angeles in 1930. Sidney went to work as a messenger at MGM. Louis B. Mayer's nickname for Sidney was "boy". Sidney flourished at the studio and by the time he was twenty he was directing screen tests and one-reel shorts. He directed installments in the Our Gang and Little Rascals series, as well as the Pete Smith and the Crime Does Not Pay series. He won back-to-back Oscars for two of his shorts, Quicker'n a Wink (1940) and Of Pups and Puzzles (1941). His feature film directing debut was Free and Easy (1941) starring Robert Cummings. His first major film musical was the all-star, war time musical, Thousands Cheer (1943), starring Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. Sidney always indicated he viewed films as entertainment and seems to have rejected the auteur theory of directing embraced by some of his well known colleagues such as John Ford and Vincent Minnelli. His film, The Three Musketeers (1948), starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner, was one of MGM's highest grossing films in the post World War Two period. He won his third Oscar for the short, Overture to 'The Merry Wives of Windsor, in 1954. Jupiter's Darling (1955) with Esther Williams was Sidney's last film for MGM. He was loaned to Columbia Pictures to direct The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), after which his contract at MGM ended.

Sidney went on to become an independent producer and director at Columbia Pictures where he directed such films as Pal Joey (1957), starring Frank Sinatra, and Bye Bye Birdie (1963) starring Ann-Margret. He returned to MGM in the 1960s to make A Ticklish Affair (1963), starring Shirley Jones and Viva Las Vegas (1964), starring Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley. His last film was the musical Half a Sixpence (1967) starring Tommy Steele for Paramount Pictures. Sidney also directed and produced for television most notably Who Has Seen the Wind (1964). He financed and founded Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1944. He was a two-term president, 1951-1959 and 1961-1967, of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), earlier known as the Screen Directors Guild (SDG).

In his personal life, Sidney was married in 1942 to legendary MGM drama coach, Lillian "Burnsie" Burns Salzer (1903-1998). He was eight years her junior. They lived at the Sidney home (1140 Tower Road) in Beverly Hills. They divorced in the mid 1970s. For a brief time Sidney maintained a penthouse apartment for George Sidney Productions at 144 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. He maintained a suite (301) in the Palm Wilshire Building, 9201 Wilshire Boulevard in the 1970s. He married his second wife, Jane Adler Robinson (?-1991), second wife and widow of actor Edward G. Robinson (1893-1974), around 1978. The house at 1140 Tower Road was sold and Sidney moved to the Robinson home at 910 Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills. Sidney married his third wife, Corinne Kegley Entratter (1937-?), widow of showman and Las Vegas entrepreneur John Entratter, in 1991. Sidney was a prolific photographer. He collected art and was apparently an avid gardener. He was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada in May 2002.

Related Materials:

The Harry Warren Collection, AC0750

The Groucho Marx Collection, AC0269

Sidney related artifacts from Sidney's films are housed in the Division of Culture and the Arts, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian. There are scrapbooks donated by the Sidney Estate in the collection of the Cinema-Television Library, Doheny Library, University of Southern California, consisting of eleven volumes containing photographs, correspondence, publicity documents, and other materials, circa 1933-1963.

Provenance:

This collection was donated to the Archives Center in 2005 by Corinne Entratter Sidney, widow of George Sidney.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with cotton gloves. Researchers may use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis and as resources allow.

Viewing film portions of the collection requires special appointment, please inquire; listening to LP recordings is only possible by special arrangement.

Special arrangements required to view materials in cold storage. Using cold room materials requires a three hour waiting period.

Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. All requests for permission to use these materials for non-museum purposes must be addressed directly to the Archives Center, and the Archives Center will forward the request to the copyright holder. Collection items are available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.

Topic:

Motion picture production and direction  Search this

Motion picture producers and directors  Search this

Motion pictures  Search this

Vaudeville  Search this

Musicals  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century

Citation:

George Sidney Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, gift of Corinne Entratter Sidney

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0867

See more items in:

George Sidney Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep878cc8f7c-849a-43d0-8ca9-4149e7f39a74

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0867

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

Collector:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  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 (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) 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:

Collection is open for research but the original and master audiovisual materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

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

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep850a376a1-6b6d-48bc-9076-cffef76fea2c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0301

Donor:

Newman, Earl  Search this

Names:

Monterey Jazz Festival  Search this

Extent:

0.6 Cubic feet (12 oversize folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Posters

Screen prints

Date:

1963-2009, undated

Summary:

Collection contains sixty-two posters commemorating the Monterey Jazz Festival created and signed by Earl Newman.

Scope and Contents:

Collection consists of a set of sixty-two posters created by Earl Newman to publicize the Monterey Jazz Festival. The prints are numbered and signed by Mr. Newman and feature Ray Charles, BB King, Etta James, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and others. They are arranged in chronological order. Folders one through eleven contain the prints. Advertising and the cloth-covered portfolio to hold the poster collection are in folder twelve.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into one series.

Related Materials:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Duke Ellington Collection, NMAH.AC.0301

William H. Quealy Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings, NMAH.AC.0296

Duke Ellington Oral History Project, NMAH.AC.0368

Billy Strayhorn Ephemera Collection, NMAH.AC.0383

Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera and Related Audio-visual Materials, NMAH.AC.0386

Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, NMAH.AC.0388

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Reference Prints, NMAH.AC.0389

New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection, NMAH.AC.O390

Felix Grant Collection, NMAH.AC.0410

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington, NMAH.AC.0422

Archives Center Collection of Music Transcriptions of Duke Ellington Compositions, Carter Harman NMAH.AC.0430

Jazz Oral History Collection about Duke Ellington, NMAH.AC.0431

Herman Leonard Photoprints, NMAH.AC.0445

Don Brown Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings, NMAH.AC.0472

Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia, NMAH.AC.0494

Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, NMAH.AC.0502

Jay McCarter Phonograph Record Collection, NMAH.AC.0541

Tom Whaley Collection, NMAH.AC.0652

William Claxton Photographs, NMAH.AC.0695

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.0704

Andrew Homzy Collection of Duke Ellington Stock Arrangements, NMAH.AC.0740

Benny Carter Collection, NMAH.AC.0757

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.0763

W. Royal Stokes Collection of Music Publicity Photoprints, Interviews and Posters, NMAH.AC.0766

Milt Gabler Papers, NMAH.AC.0849

Paquito D'Rivera Music Manuscripts and Photograph, NMAH.AC.0891

Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie, NMAH.AC.0979

Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection, NMAH.AC.1222

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.1240

James Moody Papers, NMAH.AC.1405

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Earl Newman, 1992 and 2010.

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:

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Art and music  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Posters -- 1950-2000

Screen prints

Citation:

Earl Newman Collection of Monterey Jazz Festival Posters, 1963-2009, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1207

See more items in:

Earl Newman Collection of Monterey Jazz Festival Posters

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8dba909ce-d8c9-46da-a5ab-0acb5170074a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1207

Creator:

Kennedy, Anne Judd  Search this

Stewart, Rex (William), Jr., 1907-1967 (cornetist)  Search this

Extent:

4 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Interviews

Audiotapes

Articles

Correspondence

Date:

1958-1967

bulk 1965-1967

Scope and Contents note:

Twenty audiotapes of interviews Kennedy conducted with Rex Stewart, in addition to documentary material such as correspondence and clippings.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1: Correspondence

Series 2: Newspaper articles

Series 3: Magazine articles

Series 4: Manuscripts

Series 5: Miscellaneous documents

Series 6: Interviews of Rex Stewart

Series 7: Miscellaneous

Biographical/Historical note:

Kennedy, a free-lance writer, became a close friend to Rex Stewart, and conducted taped interviews with him late in his life, when he was writing his autobiography.

Provenance:

Collection purchased from Anne Judd Kennedy.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but the master (preservation ) tapes are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark.Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts

Interviews -- 1950-2000

Audiotapes

Articles -- 1950-2000

Correspondence -- 1950-2000

Citation:

Anne Judd Kennedy Collection, 1958-1967, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0506

See more items in:

Anne Judd Kennedy Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85521981a-b31b-4d34-8fe3-f4d83483e3c8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0506

Creator:

Carter, Benny, 1907-2003  Search this

Extent:

67.5 Cubic feet (182 boxes, 3 oversize folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Awards

Clippings

Scrapbooks

Scores

Posters

Photographs

Music

Manuscripts

Date:

1928-2000

Scope and Contents:

The majority of the material in the Benny Carter Collection is dated from the late 1920s through the later half of the 1990s. Donated to the Smithsonian Institution in December, 2000, the bulk of the collection is comprised of original music manuscripts (full scores and parts), band books, and published sheet music from Benny Carter's prolific career as a jazz composer and musician. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, awards, posters, commercial sound recordings, a few jazz related journals and some personal ephemera documenting Benny Carter's personal life and career as a composer, arranger, bandleader, trumpeter and alto saxophonist.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into six series

Series 1: Music Manuscripts, 1928-1990s

Series 2: Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Clippings, 1928-2000

Series 3: Photographs, 1928-1998

Series 4: Awards and Proclamations, 1961-1999

Series 5: Sound Recordings, 1958-1989

Series 6: Ephemera, 1952-2000

Series 7: 2004 Photographs Addenda

Series 8: 2004 Ephemera Addenda

Series 9: 2004 Magazine and Newsclippings Addenda

Series 10: 2004 Awards and Proclamations Addenda

Biography:

Bennett Lester Carter, better known as "Benny," was born on August 8, 1907 in New York City. The Carter's were quite a musical family - - Benny's father played guitar, his mother played piano, and a cousin, Theodore ("Cuban") Bennett, played the trumpet professionally - - so it was no surprise that Benny also became a musician, beginning his musical training at the age of ten. He first played the trumpet and then C-melody saxophone before changing to alto saxophone, which became his chief instrument.

Benny Carter began his professional career around the young age of seventeen, when he joined a local group as an alto saxophonist. He subsequently played with various other groups, including Billy Paige and Louis Deppe, until attending Wilberforce College in Ohio to study seminary in 1925. Finding music more enticing than theology, Carter left college and instead toured with Horace Henderson's Wilberforce Collegians intermittently between 1925 and 1928.

Carter's musical talents began attracting widespread attention in 1930 during a year-long stint with Fletcher Henderson's orchestra, to which he contributed many important arrangements. As word of his talent continued to spread, Carter played with such notables as William "Chick" Webb (1931) and served as musical director of William McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1931-1932) in Detroit. Upon returning to New York in 1932, Carter formed his own highly-respected orchestra. In its two years of existence, the Benny Carter Orchestra included several major pioneers in early swing style, such as Bill Coleman, Dicky Wells, Ben Webster, Chu Berry, Teddy Wilson, and Sid Catlett. Months after playing the inaugural show in New York City at Harlem's Apollo Theater in 1934, Carter disbanded the orchestra and, one year later, sailed to Europe to spread jazz across the globe.

After arriving in Europe, Carter first performed with Willie Lewis in Paris, France, and then, during 1936 -1938, served as staff arranger for the BBC Dance Orchestra in London, England. As he continued to tour throughout his stay in Europe (even leading his own interracial band in the Netherlands in 1937), he met with even greater success than in the United States. By this point, Carter was well-known for his arrangements and for his alto saxophone and clarinet playing. He was also recognized for his talented singing and tenor saxophone, trumpet, and piano playing.

In 1938, Carter sailed back to the United States and formed a new orchestra which regularly played at Harlem's Savoy Theater until 1940. He toured the United States during the next few years, both with small groups and with his big band, finally settling in Los Angeles in 1945. There he continued to lead his band (band members included modern jazz greats such as Miles Davis and J. J. Johnson), but turned increasingly to writing and arranging music for films and television productions. His film scores include Stormy Weather (1943), A Man Called Adam (1966), Red Sky at Morning(1970), and Buck and the Preacher (1972). "Ironside," "Bob Hope Presents," and the Alfred Hitchcock show were among the television programs for which he wrote music.

Carter had stopped performing with a regular orchestra by 1946, but he remained active up through the 1960s both by playing at Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic shows and with Duke Ellington, among others. He also continued to arrange music for various singers, including Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, and Louis Armstrong. During the 1970s he began performing again, touring in Europe, Asia and Australia; in 1976 he toured the Middle East under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of State. Carter also became involved with academia, serving as visiting professor or workshop consultant at universities such as Yale, Cornell, Princeton, and Duke. He remained active in the music business well into the 1990s and still resides in California.

Benny Carter is regarded as "one of the most versatile musicians of his time." As a musician, he made major contributions to several areas of jazz and, as an arranger, he helped to construct the big-band swing style. He has received many awards throughout his career. The more prestigious honors included a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and a 1994 Grammy Award for the album "Elegy in Blue."

Footnotes

[1 ] Biographical note derived from Benny Carter: A Life in American Music, by Monroe and Edward Berger, and James Patrick (New York: Scarecrow Press and the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, 1982).

[2] J. Bradford Robinson, "John Kirby," The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol 1, 1986: 653-54.

Provenance:

The Benny Carter Collection was donated by Bennett Carter in December 2000.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Reproduction restricted due to copyright.

Topic:

African American musicians  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Awards

Clippings -- 20th century

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Scores

Posters -- 20th century

Photographs -- 20th century

Music -- Manuscripts

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Citation:

Benny Carter Collection, 1928-2000, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0757

See more items in:

Benny Carter Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep839f63d81-a542-41dc-8929-3f0c7f433f2f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0757

Author:

Stewart, Rex (William), Jr., 1907-1967 (cornetist)  Search this

Names:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Henderson, Fletcher, 1897-1952  Search this

Extent:

2.4 Cubic feet (5 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Manuscripts

Photograph albums

Photographs

Date:

circa 1875-1890s, 1924-1988

Scope and Contents:

The Rex Stewart Papers consist of book manuscripts, scrapbooks, photographs, correspondence, genealogical records, newsclippings, periodicals, and ephemera materials that document the life and career of Rex Stewart, as well as the history of jazz from the perspective of one who witnessed first-hand the genre's "golden era". The collection is organized into four series: Series 1: Book Manuscripts, circa 1950-1972; Series 2: Scrapbooks and Photo Albums, c.1930-1959; Series 3: Photographs, c.1875 and circa 1920-1967; and Series 4: Memorabilia, 1880-1905 and 1924-1988.

Of particular interest are the book manuscripts that were produced from the 1950's until Stewart's death in 1967. These document Stewart's impressions of and interactions with such jazz legends as Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Interesting photographic images include "A Great Day in Harlem", taken in 1958, portraits and candid shots of Rex Stewart, Duke Ellington, Benny Carter and others jazz greats, photographs autographed by Rex Stewart, a portrait of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra at Danceland, tintypes of Stewart's family, a photo album and scrapbook documenting Stewart's 1948 tour in Berlin, Germany, and a photo album containing candid photographs of Ellington and Stewart's family. Other materials of interest include Stewart's cabaret card from 1959-1962 and some Stewart family genealogy records from 1880 to 1905.

Overall, the Rex Stewart Papers exist as a unique look into the creative process and life of a leading jazz figure of the 1930's through the 1960's. Stewart's colorful and poetic writing allows the reader to experience first-hand the excitement and honesty of jazz.

Arrangement:

the collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1:

Series 2:

Series 3:

Series 4:

Biographical / Historical:

Rex William Stewart Jr.(1907-1967) was born in Philadelphia on February 22, 1907. He received musical inspiration from his parents, who played piano and sang in both religious and social settings, and from his maternal grandmother, Angelina Denby Johnson, who wrote poetry and hymns. Stewart took up the cornet as a teenager, playing in several small time bands in Washington D.C. and New York. His first big break came in 1926 when he was invited to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra as a replacement for Louis Armstrong. However, he did not become a regular member of the orchestra until 1928. Stewart remained with Fletcher Henderson until 1933 when he unsuccessfully tried to form his own band. In 1934, he worked briefly for Louis Russell before being invited to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra. As Ellington's lead cornetist, Stewart became widely known for his Aunique conversational style of playing and experimentation with half-valve effects. He also co-composed several numbers with Ellington including "Boy Meets Horn" and "Morning Glory". In addition, Stewart led small-group recording sessions during the late thirties with Ellington and his fellow sidemen, including Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney.

Rex Stewart left Ellington's orchestra in 1945 and briefly played with Jazz at the Philharmonic. He toured Europe as a soloist and leader of several bands between 1947 and 1951. It was also during this period that Stewart began to lecture and write about jazz. In the fifties and sixties, he entered into semi-retirement in order to concentrate on his writing. Stewart continued to perform periodically with numerous small jazz ensembles on the festival circuit. He was instrumental in the organization and recording of the Fletcher Henderson Reunion band in 1958 and 1959. Stewart died on September 7, 1967 in Los Angeles. A collection of his essays, Jazz Masters of the 30's, was published posthumously in 1972 by Macmillan Publishing Company.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Anne Kennedy Collection, 1959-1967 (AC 506)

Duke Ellington Collection, 1927-1982 (AC 301)

Provenance:

Mrs. Claire Gordon, Stewart's companion, co-writer, and recipient of his estate, donated the Rex Stewart Papers to the National Museum of American History on January 3, 1992 and July 18, 1994.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Reproduction fees for commercial use. All rights transferred to Museum in Deed of Gift.

Topic:

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Cornet music (Jazz) -- 1920-1970  Search this

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Manuscripts -- 1920-1970

Photograph albums -- 1920-1970

Photographs -- 20th century

Citation:

Rex Stewart Papers, ca. 1875-1890s, 1924-1988, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0424

See more items in:

Rex Stewart Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep846cfcaa4-cf2f-402c-ad87-c329c213d246

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0424

Creator:

Guernsey's New York, New York  Search this

Coltrane, John, 1926-1967  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (1 folder)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Date:

1964

Summary:

The original manuscript for Coltrane's compositionA Love Supreme.

Scope and Contents:

The music manuscript is the original 1964 manuscript of A Love Supreme, a work that exalts the greatness, power, and love of God. The collection includes handwritten music, doodles, lyrics, and notes. A Love Supreme is thought to be one of the greatest jazz albums of all time.

Biographical / Historical:

John Coltrane was born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina. Surrounded and influenced by music from a young age, Coltrane trained in Philadelphia at Granoff Studios and the Ornstein School of Music. He went on to play in the U.S. Navy Band when he was called to military service during World War II.

When the war was over, Coltrane played with the likes of Jimmy Heath, the Eddie "CleanHead" Vinson Band, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1958, he joined the Miles Davis Quintet and became famous for his three-on-one chord approach and "sheets of sound," a method of playing multiple notes a one time.

Coltrane formed his own quartet by 1960 with pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Jimmy Garrison. It was with this group that he created his famous A Love Supreme, a work that discusses the greatness, power, and love of God. Coltrane believed that everyone should contribute positively to the world, and his way of doing so was creating positive thought patterns through his music.

Coltrane accumulated much recognition throughout his career, including a posthumous 1982 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Solo Performance for "Bye Bye Blackbird" and the organization's esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1995, he was honored by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative postage stamp. He also has a street named on the Universal Studios lot in his honor. Coltrane's former home has been turned into a National Historic Landmark to commemorate his influence on American culture.

Coltrane died of liver disease in July 1967. His music is still heard today in various avenues of popular culture, including movies and television shows. Coltrane and his wife Alice had one child, Ravi, a prominent jazz saxophonist.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

William Claxton Photographs, 1955-1960 (NMAH.AC.0695)

Audrey Wells "Women in Jazz" Radio Series, 1981-1982 (NMAH.AC.0899)

Provenance:

Collection purchased at auction, 2005.

Restrictions:

Copy available for general research use. Original manuscript available by special request.

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:

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

Jazz  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts -- Music -- 1960-1970

Citation:

John Coltrane Music Manuscript, 1964, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0903

See more items in:

John Coltrane Music Manuscript

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d2244bb0-0169-47c3-a1a4-8e1f22dca5b1

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0903

Creator:

Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971  Search this

Extent:

0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Date:

undated

Scope and Contents note:

Conductor's scores for: "Didn't it Rain", "Shadrack", "This Train", "Sometimes", "Jonah", "Down by the Riverside", "Jonah and the Whale", "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen". Condensed scores for: "Shadrack", "Go Down Moses", Ezekiel", "Motherless Child", "Rock My Soul".

Arrangement:

1 series.

Biographical/Historical note:

Jazz vocalist and trumpet player.

Provenance:

Collection purchased at Guernsey's Auction,108 East 73rd Street, New York, New York 10021.

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:

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

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

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Citation:

Louis Armstrong Music Manuscripts, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0904

See more items in:

Louis Armstrong Music Manuscripts

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b9fc2ae8-1a58-4ff8-918c-a7dd6bbcc746

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0904

Creator:

Monk, Thelonious  Search this

Donor:

Monk, Thelonious, Jr.  Search this

Extent:

1 Item

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Parts (musical)

Date:

1951

Scope and Contents:

The tenor saxophone part for "4 in 1".

Arrangement:

Single item.

Biographical / Historical:

Jazz pianist and composer.

Provenance:

Donated by Thelonious Monk, Jr. in 2006.

Restrictions:

Copy available for general research use. Original available by special request only.

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:

Jazz  Search this

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Parts (musical)

Citation:

Thelonious Monk Music Manuscript, 1951, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Thelonious Monk, Jr.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0914

See more items in:

Thelonious Monk Music Manuscript

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8fff9eaf4-2e34-4823-800c-2b9356103e2f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0914

Creator:

Miles Davis Properties.  Search this

Davis, Miles  Search this

Evans, Gil, 1912-1988  Search this

Extent:

0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Date:

1959

Scope and Contents note:

Manuscript for "Summertime", recorded by Davis and GIl Evans in 1959.

Arrangement:

1 series.

Biographical/Historical note:

Jazz trumpeter, 1926-1991.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Miles Davis Properties, through Vince Wilburn.

Restrictions:

Copy available for general research use. Access to original by special request.

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:

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

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

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Citation:

Miles Davis Music Manuscript, 1959, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0920

See more items in:

Miles Davis Music Manuscript

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8800c2aaa-5b71-4d85-a41b-4068cad17b3f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0920

Creator:

Williams, Claude, 1908-2004  Search this

Fouse-Williams, Blanche Y.  Search this

Extent:

1 Electronic discs (CD)

13 Cassette tapes

4.66 Cubic feet (14 boxes, 3 map- folders)

Container:

Map-folder 1

Map-folder 3

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Electronic discs (cd)

Cassette tapes

Letters (correspondence)

Photographs

Programs

Posters

Scrapbooks

Financial records

Awards

Business records

Audiotapes

Articles

Manuscripts

Date:

1920-2005

Summary:

Business and personal papers, photographs, and audio recordings of Claude "Fiddler" Williams, an award-winning jazz fiddler. Although Williams played music for almost a century the materials in this collection date largely from 1970 to 2005.

Scope and Contents:

This collection documents the later life and career of jazz violinist Claude "Fiddler" Williams. Materials include correspondence, photographs, unpublished writings, awards, business records, financial records, programs and a few music manuscripts. There is one scrapbook and several audio recordings. There are also an autographed poster from 1997 honoring five inductees to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, including Claude Williams, Merle Haggard, Patti Page, Woody Guthrie and Eddie Burris. While there are some materials from Williams's youth, the vast majority of the collection dates from 1970. Williams's second wife, Blanche Y. Fouse-Williams, was vigilant about saving his papers. She also managed his career for the last few years of his life. This accounts for the increased volume of materials documenting his later years. Materials generally are arranged in chronological order within series and subseries.

Series 1, Business Records, 1973-2005, undated, is divided into seven subseries and includes business records, information relating to tours and performances, awards and certificates, business and personal correspondence, financial papers, articles and newspaper clippings, and biographical information.

Subseries 1, Events, 1977-2004, undated, includes contracts, copies of newspaper clippings, performance programs, brochures, ticket stubs, travel itineraries, travel receipts, correspondence, materials regarding his work as a fiddle teacher, advertisements for performances, a certificate of recognition, and napkins saved from a Washington Education Television Association (WETA) performance at the White House in 1998. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 2, Itineraries, 1990-2001, includes lists and correspondence detailing locations, musicians, travel and lodging plans, and financial compensation for William's performances. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 3, Awards and Certificates, 1978-2002, contains awards and certificates of appreciation from the Steamboat Delta Queen, Annual Black Musicians Conference, Kansas City Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors, and the Manhattan School of Music, as well as an invitation to a reception honoring Kansas City Jazz musicians from the Consul General of Japan. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 4, Correspondence, 1975-2004, consists of information relating to travel arrangements, tours, remuneration, music recordings, press kits, contracts, public television performances, involvement with the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as Williams's Smithsonian Folkways recording. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 5, Financial Papers, 1990-2005, includes information about travel and payment, hotel bills and receipts, invoices for performances, music recordings sales, royalty statements and copies of checks. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries 6, Press, 1973--005, undated, includes magazines, newspaper clippings and articles, about Williams's performances and music, appearances and jazz festivals, as well as the Kansas City Jazz scene. Magazine titles include Kansas City Magazine , Missouri Alumnus , The Masters Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program , Jazz Ambassador Magazine , Kansas City Ambassador to Jazz , The Mississippi Rag , Fiddler Magazine , Jazz News , Jazz Times , Living Blues , Blues Access , and Kansas City . Materials are arranged by type and then in chronological order.

Subseries 7, Music, 1989-1995, undated, contains thirteen audio tape recordings, one CD, sheet music and set lists of music performed by Williams. There is an audio recording of Black and Blue: A Musical Revue , a Folk Master performance at Carnegie Hall. Williams's work with James Chirillo, an appearance on Birdflight , as well as recordings of live and studio performances are also included among these materials. There is a copy of Williams's CD Swingtime in New York and an interview from1992. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Series 2, Personal Papers, 1978--005, undated, is divided into two subseries and contains letters, cards, postcards, invitations, copies of email, and requests for information and interviews. Most of the correspondence was addressed to Williams but there are materials that were sent to Blanche Williams. The correspondence is generally from fans, friends and family.

Subseries 1, Correspondence, 1978-2005, undated, consists of birthday cards from school age children, postcards, copies of newspaper clippings, White House and other government correspondence, congratulations or birthday wishes, as well as personal correspondence from friends inquiring about Williams's health and well-being. Also included is a draft for a chapter in a book on Claude Williams's contributions to jazz. Requests relating to research about Williams are also included. Materials are arranged in chronological order. Materials are arranged first by type followed by general correspondence in chronological order.

Subseries 2, Miscellaneous, undated, contains ephemera, autographs, affiliates list, well-wishes to Blanche Williams, a funeral program, mailing lists, lists of affiliated organizations, and a Count Bassie autograph.

Series 3, Photographs, 1977-2004, undated, includes personal and professional photographic prints and negatives of Williams. Subjects include performances and festivals, headshots and publicity, images of other musicians, family, friends, and posters with photographs created for his funeral. The majority of these photographs are of performances. Materials are arranged by subject.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into three series.

Series 1, Business Records, 1973-2005, undated

Subseries 1.1, Events, 1977-2004, undated

Subseries 1.2, Itineraries, 1990-2001

Subseries 1.3, Awards and Certificates, 1978-2002

Subseries 1.4, Correspondence, 1975-2004

Subseries 1.5, Financial Papers, 1990-2005

Subseries 1.6, Press, 1973-2005, undated

Subseries 1.7, Music; 1989-1995, undated

Series 2, Personal Papers, 1978-2005, undated

Subseries 2.1, Correspondence, 1978-2005, undated

Subseries 2.2, Miscellaneous, undated

Series 3, Photographs, 1977-2004, undated

Biographical / Historical:

Claude "Fiddler" Williams, 1908-2004, was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the son of a blacksmith. His musical gifts developed at a very early age, and he quickly became adept at the guitar, banjo, mandolin and cello, learning mostly by ear, without formal training. After hearing the jazz violinist Joe Venuti, the violin became his instrument of choice, and it remained so for the rest of his life. He migrated to Kansas City in 1927 and toured with several territory bands. Additionally Williams toured with the Twelve Clouds of Joy and the Cole Brothers, and in 1936, joined Count Basie's band as the first guitarist. After he was fired from Count Basie's band because John Hammond thought Williams's guitar solos were taking too much attention away from Basie, he went back to the violin (or "fiddle" as he preferred to call it) and focused exclusively on it for the rest of his life. Later he started his own band and toured with several jazz groups working for a short time with the Works Progress Administration (WPA). His band appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Nice Jazz Festival, and the Smithsonian Institution's Festival of American Folk Life. Williams received numerous honors and awards, including induction into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, a proclamation from the city of Kansas City, and a 1998 National Heritage Fellowship which included a $10,000 award. President Bill Clinton invited him to perform at one of the parties celebrating his first inauguration. Williams continued to tour and perform until well into his nineties. He also gave instruction at Mark O'Connor's annual fiddle camp to young violinists. Mr. Williams died in April 2004.

Separated Materials:

Artifacts donated to the Museum's Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) include a suit and violin. See accession numbers: 2005.3105 and 2007.3020.

Provenance:

This collection was donated by Claude Williams's widow, Blanche Y. Fouse-Williams, in 2005.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Physical Access: Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Technical Access: Do not use original materials when available on reference audio tapes.

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:

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

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

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Violinists  Search this

Musicians -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century.

Photographs -- 2000-2010

Programs

Posters -- 1950-2000

Scrapbooks

Financial records

Awards

Business records -- 20th century

Audiotapes

Articles

Photographs -- 20th century

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Citation:

Claude Williams Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0909

See more items in:

Claude Williams Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82736f8a2-824b-43e6-96c8-6449a163c087

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0909

Creator:

Santamaria, Mongo, 1917-  Search this

Extent:

2 Cubic feet (4 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Articles

Passports

Photographs

Manuscripts

Concert programs

Date:

1950s-1996

Summary:

Collection includes music manuscripts, articles and clippings, concert programs, passports, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

This collection documents, mostly in photographs, the musical career of Mongo Santamaria. Other materials include music manuscripts, magazine and newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and passports.

Series 1, Photographs, circa 1950s–1990s, includes primarily black and white and some color images of Mongo Santamaria. There is a photograph of Santamaria with the first Congo he brought from Cuba to the United States. Of particular interest is Santamaria performing with Tito Puente and Cal Tjada's bands. Some of the earlier photographs document performances at the Palladium Nightclub and Apollo Theatre. There are publicity photographs of Santamaria and his band created by the recording studios. The photographs also include award ceremonies, bar scenes and concert appearances. The materials are arranged in chronological order.

Series 2, Music Manuscripts, 1958-1985; undated, includes music created by Santamaria and music performed by him but written by other composers. Escena Afro-Cubanas composed and arranged by Valerie Capers (1985), Just Say Good-by by Rodgers Grant, Mambo Olga Pachanga by Nicolas Martinez (1961) and Peace by Horace Silver are included among these materials. The materials are arranged in alphabetical order by title.

Series 3, Personal and Background Information, 1945-1996; undated, include a profile of Santamaria and other musicians written in Japanese. There are also magazine articles documenting the development of Santamaria's career and his public appearances. Articles from the Miami Herald and the Chicago Tribune are also included among the materials. Personal items consist of Santamaria's Cuban and American passports. The materials are arranged in alphabetical order by type.

Series 4, Performance Materials, 1977-1996; undated, includes the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Certificate to Mongo Santamaria and his Latin-Jazz Orchestra in recognition of nomination for the Best Tropical Latin Performance for Free Spirit, Espirito Libre, 1985. There are also flyers and an entertainment guide, some in Spanish, advertising public appearances for concert performances. A program in French for a jazz festival in Vienna includes profiles of the performers. There are posters including a black and white drawing of jazz musicians by Robert Leonard (1985) and appearances at the Miami Jazz and Heritage Festival, Apollo Theatre, Oberlin College and the Blue Note. Materials are arranged in alphabetical order by type.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into 4 series.

Series 1: Photographs, circa 1950s-1990

Series 2, Music Manuscripts, 1958-1985 and undated

Series 3, Personal and Background Information, 1945-1996 and undated

Series 4, Performance Materials, 1977-1996 and undated

Biographical / Historical:

Cuban-born percussionist, composer, arranger, and bandleader.

Related Materials:

The materials in this collection complement the Latino Music Collection, Tito Puente Papers, Chico O'Farrill Papers, Dizzy Gillespie Collection and Paquito d'Rivera Music Manuscripts and Photograph.

Provenance:

Donated to the Archives Center by Mongo Santamaria's daughter, Nancy Anderson.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Fees for commercial reproduction. Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark.

Topic:

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Drummers (Musicians)  Search this

Musicians -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Articles

Passports

Photographs -- 1950-2000

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Concert programs

Citation:

Mongo Santamaria Papers, 1965-2001, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Nancy Anderson.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0893

See more items in:

Mongo Santamaria Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86da90852-d80c-4f01-b373-10272925814e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0893

Creator:

Short, Bobby  Search this

Names:

Carlyle Hotel New York, New York  Search this

Hildegarde, 1906-2005  Search this

Mercer, Mabel, 1900-1984  Search this

Minnelli, Liza  Search this

Putney, Charles  Search this

Photographer:

Bull, Clarence Sinclair, 1896-1979  Search this

Extent:

13.6 Cubic feet (35 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Clippings

Business records

Music

Contracts

Photographs

Passports

Posters

Scrapbooks

Concert programs

Place:

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

Date:

1908-2006

Summary:

Bobby Short was a singer and pianist whose career spanned seven decades. An interpreter of American popular music, he became a performer in childhood and remained active until his death. He is best known for his more than 35 years as performer-in-residence at the Hotel Carlyle's Café Carlyle in New York City. This collection contains personal papers and photographs as well as business papers, musical materials and photographs relating to Mr. Short's career as a performing artist.

Scope and Contents:

This collection consists of personal materials relating to Mr. Short's childhood, family, and friends as well as business materials relating to his career as a performer. These include photographs, correspondence, business documents, periodicals, musical materials, manuscripts and awards. Most of the material is arranged chronologically. The container list is detailed as to the type and date of the materials.

Series 1, Personal Materials, circa 1908-2005. This series is divided into four Subseries: Early Life in Danville, Illinois; Awards, Honors, and Milestones; Personal Ephemera and Miscellaneous Publications; and Original Artworks owned by Bobby Short. Subseries 1 includes poems written in childhood and two high school annuals. Subseries 2 includes numerous citations and awards as well as three Grammy nominations. Subseries 4 contains small prints and sketches as well as larger works by various artists.

Series 2, Correspondence, circa 1950-2005. This Series is divided into three Subseries: Personal Correspondence; Correspondence with Celebrities and Notable People; and Business Correspondence and Related Materials. The material is arranged chronologically. The material in Subseries 1 and 2 consists of letters, telegrams, invitations, and notes.

Series 3, Photographs, circa 1908-2005. This Series is divided into six Subseries: With and of Family and Friends; With Celebrities and Notable People; Other Performers, Notable People, and Autographed; In Performance; Publicity, Fashion, and Advertising; and Photographs of Artworks Depicting Bobby Short.

Subseries 1 contains a number of early family photographs and early photographs of Bobby Short. Subseries 1 and 3 include photographs by Carl Van Vechten. Subseries 1 and 5 include photographs by Horst, Hurrell, and Scavullo. Subseries 4 contains photographs of Bobby Short in performance, both alone and with others.

Series 4, Contracts and Related Documents, 1953-2005. This series is divided into six Subseries: Appearances in the United States and Foreign Countries; Film, Radio and Television Appearances; Recording Contracts, Royalty Statements and Related Materials; Print, Radio and Television Advertising; Licensing Proposals; and Union and Labor Department Documents.

Subseries 1 is arranged as follows: Hotel Carlyle Contracts; United States Contracts arranged alphabetically by state. These are followed by foreign contracts arranged alphabetically by name of country. Subseries 2 is arranged as follows: contracts and related materials for radio appearances, television appearances and appearances in films. Subseries 3 consists of recording contracts and royalty statements arranged chronologically and by company. Subseries 4, 5, and 6 are arranged chronologically.

Series 5, Programs, Publicity, and Promotion, 1956-1996. This series is divided into three Subseries: Programs for Performances by Bobby Short; Newspaper Clippings and Magazines; and Promotional Materials.

Subseries 1 consists primarily of programs for performances at concert halls. Subseries 2 consists largely of newspaper and entertainment magazine notices from the 1950s and 1960s. Subseries 3 includes flyers, announcements and table cards.

Series 6, Special Events, 1963-2003. This series consists of materials relating to special events such as charity benefits and anniversary celebrations at which Short performed or was otherwise involved. Several of these events benefited the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Series 7, Musical Materials, circa 1920s-1995. This series consists of a variety of materials relating to music; publications, sheet music, lyrics, recording contracts, album covers, and two 45 rpm recordings. Song lists, discographies, and articles about music are included.

Series 8, Theatrical Productions as Producer or Investor, 1979-1988 This series consists of contracts and performance materials for productions for which Bobby Short acted as a producer and/or investor. Programs, correspondence, and publicity materials are included; also partnership documents and financial statements.

Series 9, Manuscripts, Research, and Publishing Materials, circa 1954-1997. This series is arranged in two Subseries: Writings: Bobby Short; Writings: Others.

Subseries 1 includes a partial manuscript for Black and White Baby and research and other materials for a proposed volume, Black Lady Singers, that was not written. Subseries 2 consists of miscellaneous writings by others including a partial script for a play, Tinsel Town, and a film script, Johnny Twennies.

Arrangement:

The papers are arranged in nine series

Series 1, Personal Materials, circa 1908-2005

Subseries 1, Early Life in Danville, Illinois, 1924-1942

Subseries 2, Awards, Honors and Milestones, 1964-2005

Subseries 3, Personal Ephemera and Miscellaneous Publications, 1937-2002

Subseries 4, Original Artworks Owned by Bobby Short, 1841-1990s

Series 2, Correspondence, circa 1938-2005

Subseries 1, Personal Correspondence, 1950s-2004

Subseries 2, Correspondence with Celebrities and Notable People, 1962-2004

Subseries 3, Business Correspondence and Related materials, 1938-2005

Series 3, Photographs, circa 1908-2005

Subseries 1, With and of Family and Friends, circa 1908-2005

Subseries 2, With Celebrities and Notable People, circa 1953-1990s

Subseries 3, Other Performers, Notable People, and Autographed, circa 1920s-1990s

Subseries 4, In Performance and Related Subjects, circa 1940s-2001

Subseries 5, Publicity, Fashion, and Advertising, circa 1930s-2000s

Subseries 6, Photographs of Artworks Depicting Bobby Short, circa 1960s-1990s

Series 4, Contracts and Related Documents, circa 1953-2005

Subseries 1, Appearances in the United States and Foreign Countries, circa 1953-2005

Subseries 2, Radio, Television, and Film Appearances, 1978-2000

Subseries 3, Recording Contracts, Royalty Statements and Related Materials, 1955-2003

Subseries 4, Print, Radio and Television Advertising, 1976-1997

Subseries 5, Licensing Proposals, 1984-2000

Subseries 6, Union and Labor Department Documents, 1981-2005

Series 5, Programs, Publicity, and Promotion, 1956-1996

Subseries 1, Programs for Performances by Bobby Short

Subseries 2, Newspaper Clippings and Magazines

Subseries 3, Promotional Materials

Series 6, Special Events, 1963-2003

Series 7, Musical Materials, circa 1920-1995

Series 8, Theatrical Productions as Producer or Investor, 1979-1988

Series 9, Manuscripts, Research, And Publishing Materials, circa 1954-1997

Subseries 1, Writings: Bobby Short

Subseries 2, Writings: Others

Biographical / Historical:

Bobby Short (Robert Waltrip Short) was born to Rodman and Myrtle Short on September 15, 1924, in Danville, Illinois. He was one of six surviving children. As part of the town's relatively small African American community, the Short family maintained a middle-class standard of living, even during the Great Depression. Rodman Short pursued several occupations but spent most of his life as a coal miner in West Virginia and was seldom at home. Myrtle Short, a domestic worker, was a fastidious housekeeper who expected a high standard of deportment in her children. In Bobby Short's first memoir, Black and White Baby, he wrote: "Except for our color, we conformed in almost every degree to the image of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant-in our manners, our mores, and our way of life." Music was an important part of that life; many members of the extended family played instruments or sang, some professionally. Short first played a song by ear at the family upright piano when he was four years old and began his life-long love affair with words and music. Church, school, vaudeville, and minstrel shows provided his earliest musical influences and repertoire; his innate musicality and enthusiasm enabled him to become a skilled performer at an early age. By the time he was ten years old, he was playing and singing in local night spots and as far away as Indianapolis. At twelve, he was playing in vaudeville, at times billed as "the Miniature King of Swing." At thirteen, he returned to Danville, attended high school, and after graduating in 1942, left his home town to begin his professional life in earnest.

Short spent the 1940s and early 1950s as an increasingly successful entertainer in sophisticated night clubs and jazz venues in Chicago and other Midwestern cities, California, and New York, as well as Paris and London. While his early repertoire featured novelty songs and boogie-woogie, as he matured he embraced the standards of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and other notable composers and song writers. He enthusiastically promoted the work of African American composers such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Andy Razaf. His encyclopedic knowledge of popular songs, both the well-known and the obscure, gave his performances a freshness that delighted his audiences.

In 1956, Short moved to New York City, taking up residence in a Carnegie Hall studio apartment. His career as a "saloon singer" (his words) continued in New York and in frequent visits to the Midwest and California. He appeared in theatrical roles and began recording for Atlantic Records. In 1968 his concert at Carnegie Hall with Mabel Mercer led to his engagement at the intimate Café Carlyle at the Hotel Carlyle. He remained there, playing for six months of the year, for the rest of his life. His performances at the Carlyle made him a darling of society and an icon of sophisticated New York style. In the early 1970s his album "Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter" introduced him to a larger audience; he published his first memoir, Black and White Baby, in 1971.

Short recorded numerous albums, earning several Grammy nominations. He appeared on radio and television, occasionally acted on stage and was seen in small roles in several films. He produced "Black Broadway," a theatrical review featuring many veteran performers he had long revered; he was instrumental in the revival of Alberta Hunter's career. Four Presidents--Nixon, Carter, Clinton and Reagan--invited him to perform at the White House. When he was not at the Café Carlyle, he traveled extensively in the United States and abroad, appearing in both night clubs and symphony halls. Success enabled him to purchase a villa in the south of France. His second memoir, Bobby Short, the Life and Times of a Saloon Singer, was published in 1995. Short earned many awards and honors during his lengthy career and was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 1999. He died in New York on March 21, 2005.

Sources: Short, Bobby. Black and White Baby, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company,1971. Short, Bobby (with Robert Mackintosh). Bobby Short, the Life and Times of a Saloon Singer, New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1995.

Related Materials:

Objects (2006.0071): awards, clothing, medals, and a music portfolio, including thirteen sound recordings (1984.0134), are housed in the Division of Music, Sports, and Entertainment (now Division of Cultural and Community Life), National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Provenance:

Bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution by Bobby Short.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Physical Access: Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Researchers must use photocopies of scrapbooks due to the fragility of the originals, unless special access is approved.

Technical Access: Listening to sound recordings requires special appointment; please inquire.

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:

Entertainment  Search this

Works of art  Search this

African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this

Vaudeville  Search this

Pianists  Search this

Nightclubs  Search this

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

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Correspondence -- 20th century

Clippings

Business records -- 20th century

Music -- Manuscripts

Contracts

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

Passports

Posters

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Concert programs

Citation:

Bobby Short Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0946

See more items in:

Bobby Short Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82bf0cb88-a022-4ff9-bc01-f891d61c9ed7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0946

Creator:

Brown, William Theo, 1919-2012  Search this

Subject:

Anderson, Eugene Newton  Search this

Bachardy, Don  Search this

Barber, Samuel  Search this

Barton, Betsy  Search this

Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, Sir  Search this

Broughton, James  Search this

Callahan, Harry M.  Search this

Callery, Mary  Search this

Carson, Josephine  Search this

Coke, Van Deren  Search this

Craft, Robert  Search this

DeFeo, Jay  Search this

De Kooning, Elaine  Search this

Diebenkorn, Richard  Search this

Donovan, Richard  Search this

Golschmann, Vladimir  Search this

Hamilton, George Heard  Search this

Hess, Thomas B.  Search this

Hindemith, Gertrud  Search this

Hindemith, Paul  Search this

Hockney, David  Search this

Holloway, Sterling  Search this

Howard, Bart  Search this

Inge, William  Search this

Isherwood, Christopher  Search this

Jenkins, Dorothy  Search this

Johnson, Frank  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

Kiesler, Lillian  Search this

Lambert, Gavin  Search this

Lathwood, Jo  Search this

Loomis, Amy  Search this

Masselind, Ben  Search this

McLaughlin, John  Search this

Meeks, Everett  Search this

Oliveira, Nathan  Search this

Park, David  Search this

Petty, Mary  Search this

Poulenc, Francis  Search this

Rukeyser, Muriel  Search this

Saint, Eva Marie  Search this

Sarton, May  Search this

Schrade, Leo  Search this

Sekula, Sonja  Search this

Shaw, Robert  Search this

Simonds, Bruce  Search this

Stone, Helen  Search this

Stravinsky, Igor  Search this

Stravinsky, Vera  Search this

Swift, Richard  Search this

Tardos, Anne  Search this

Thiebaud, Wayne  Search this

Wonner, Paul  Search this

Zajac, Jack  Search this

Davis, Charles H. (Charles Harold)  Search this

Citation:

William Theo Brown papers, 1845-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area  Search this

Composition (Music) -- 20th century  Search this

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8956

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211143

AAA_collcode_browwilt

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211143

Creator:

Jacques Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Subject:

Hauke, Cesar M. de (Cesar Mange)  Search this

Glaenzer, Eugene  Search this

Haardt, Georges  Search this

Seligman, Germain  Search this

Seligmann, Arnold  Search this

Parker, Theresa D.  Search this

Waegen, Rolf Hans  Search this

Trevor, Clyfford  Search this

Seligmann, René  Search this

Seligmann, Jacques  Search this

De Hauke & Co., Inc.  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Eugene Glaenzer & Co.  Search this

Germain Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Gersel  Search this

Type:

Gallery records

Citation:

Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Mackay, Clarence Hungerford, 1874-1938 -- Art collections  Search this

Schiff, Mortimer L. -- Art collections  Search this

Arenberg, duc d' -- Art collections  Search this

Liechtenstein, House of -- Art collections  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- France -- Paris  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

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

La Fresnaye, Roger de, 1885-1925  Search this

Art, Renaissance  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Art treasures in war  Search this

Art, European  Search this

Theme:

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Art Market  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9936

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212486

AAA_collcode_jacqself

Theme:

Art Gallery Records

Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212486

Creator:

Zilczer, Judith, 1948-  Search this

Subject:

Benton, Thomas Hart  Search this

Coady, Robert J.  Search this

Dasburg, Andrew  Search this

Dawson, Manierre  Search this

Hartley, Marsden  Search this

Hartmann, Sadakichi  Search this

Linder, Richard  Search this

Munson, Gorham Bert  Search this

Quinn, John  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Armory Show (1913: New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Citation:

Judith Zilczer papers, 1910-1995, bulk 1973-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art, Abstract  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Synchromism (Art)  Search this

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)16243

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)370463

AAA_collcode_zilcjudt

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_370463

Performer:

Herman, Woody, 1913-1987  Search this

Collector:

Siefert, Jack William, 1918-  Search this

Extent:

16 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Posters

Correspondence

Photographs

Date:

1913-1990

Scope and Contents:

Sound recordings, business records, photographs, correspondence, and concert posters documenting the career of Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman.

The Jack Siefert/Woody Herman Collection includes manuscript materials, photographs, open-reel audio tapes, cassettes, CDs, audio discs and videos documenting the career of Woody Herman. The collection is organized into six series as follows:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1969-1988 Includes a few letters to Woody Herman, but the bulk of the correspondence is to or from Jack Siefert.

Series 2: Photographs, circa 1920 - 1987

The photographs are divided into 5 subseries (family, in performance, friends and colleagues, publicity, and miscellaneous) and arranged chronologically within each subseries. This series includes original and copy prints.

Series 3: Business Records, circa 1946 – 1990

Consists of 3 subseries (Misc. Business Papers, Publicity and Programs, and Itineraries) with the bulk of the materials documenting performance schedules and itineraries. The post-1987 materials include programs and announcements for tributes to Woody Herman.

Series 4: Clippings, 1945 – 1990s

Magazine and newspaper articles about Woody Herman and his various bands.

Series 5: Ephemera

Includes several cartoons and Herman's entry in 'Who's Who in America." Also Jack Siefert's log to the audio materials titled Musical History of Woody Herman.

Series 6: Audio-Visual Materials

Commercial audio disc recordings, reference recordings and transcription discs, ¼" open-reel audio tapes, audio cassettes, CDs and videos.

Arrangement:

Divided into 6 series. Chronologically arranged.

Biographical / Historical:

Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin on May 16, 1913. He became involved with music at an early age, working in vaudeville and becoming a professional saxophone player at 15.

He joined Isham Jones in 1934 and then when Jones' group disbanded in 1936, Herman used several former Jones musicians to form the core for Herman's first band, the Woody Herman Orchestra. This group was known for….

Renamed Woody Herman and his Herd in 1943, the group was heavily influenced by Duke Ellington. The first Herd's music was admired for its swinging arrangements. Herman disbanded this group in 1946 for family reasons, but reformed the band in 1947 as the Second Herd.

Although considered an excellent musician, Herman's talent as a organizer ensured his place in the history of American popular music. He had a rare ability to assemble musicians to create bands with distinctive and, ultimately, popular sounds.

Provenance:

Collection donated by J. William Siefert, August 13, 1998.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but a portion of the collection is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Copyright restrictions. Contact staff for information.

Topic:

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

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Posters -- 20th century

Correspondence -- 20th century

Photographs -- 20th century

Citation:

Jack Siefert Woody Herman Collection, 1913-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0659

See more items in:

Jack Siefert Woody Herman Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88911c80a-8d04-4d39-bd97-a65e55477a4e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0659