Search Results

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)  Search this

Subject:

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center  Search this

Apollo 11 (Spacecraft)  Search this

Exploring the Planets (Online exhibition)  Search this

Apollo to the Moon (Online exhibition)  Search this

A New Moon Rises: Views from the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter Camera (Online exhibition)  Search this

Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-Vehicular Activity (Online exhibition)  Search this

Hawaii by Air (Online exhibition)  Search this

Fifty Years of Human Space Flight (Online exhibition)  Search this

Out of This World (Online exhibition)  Search this

America by Air (Online exhibition)  Search this

The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age (Online exhibition)  Search this

Explore the Universe (Online exhibition)  Search this

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth (Online exhibition)  Search this

Space Race (Online exhibition)  Search this

Looking at Earth (Online exhibition)  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2019

Topic:

Aeronautical museums  Search this

Astronautical museums  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Special events  Search this

Museums--Educational aspects  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Buildings--Repair and reconstruction  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-061

See more items in:

Website Records 2004, 2009-2020 [National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_399130

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 12, Folder 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1983, 1993

Scope and Contents:

File contains publications related to Odell's music instrument research, including the obituary of Bill Clark by Burt Porter, published in The Chronicle (1983), and an article on Mountain Dulcimers by Ralph Lee Smith, published in the Dulcimer Player News (1993).

The Bill Clark obituary is located in oversize Box 17.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.5: Music Instrument Research

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref1298

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 11, Folder 46

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated, 1969, 1971, 2000, 2011

Scope and Contents:

File contains publications related to Odell's banjo research. See the entry for "Banjo - Publications 1" for a list of publcations.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.5: Music Instrument Research

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref1935

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 3, Folder 41

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1985, 1995

Scope and Contents note:

File contains correspondence, notes, and publications related to negotiations for the acquisition of the Anne Grimes dulcimer collection. Relates to the 1960s trips and the acquisition of dulcimer now at NMAH. Also, has material that Odell provided to Grimes and her daughter to convince them that the NMAH was the best home for their collection.

Other correspondence with Anne Grimes can be found in series 1, box 1, folder 6.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.5: Music Instrument Research

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref545

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 3, Folder 42

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1980, 1990, 1992-1994 undated

Scope and Contents note:

File contains correspondence, photos, notes, and publications related to the acquisition of Johnny Jeffries' collection.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.5: Music Instrument Research

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref548

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents:

This subseries consists of recordings, photographs, papers, and other materials relating to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (formerly the Festival of American Folklife). Festival materials are concentrated on the 1976 Festival of American Folklife and the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Other materials related to Odell's documentation of Folklife Festivals can be found in Series 5: Publications. Related materials can also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

CFCH.ODEL, Subseries 8.7

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref761

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 10, Folder 28

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972 - 1977, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2009

Scope and Contents:

File contains programs, press releases, exhibition catalogues and other publications related to events by the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations, including a lecture by Peter Gott (1970), and the 1977 Inaugural Folkdance signed by Ralph Rinzler.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.1: Biographical Material

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref1367

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Box 10, Folder 26

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated, 1974, 1976

Scope and Contents:

File contains publications related to Odell's interests. One ballad book, given to Odell in Mexico, and four programs of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.1: Biographical Material

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref1656

Collection Source:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Odell, Scott, 1935-  Search this

Container:

Oversize 17

Box 10, Folder 18

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated, 1987, 2005, 2007

Scope and Contents:

File contains ephemera and publications related to other interests of Odell.

Oversized newspaper articles are located in oversize Box 17.

Collection Restrictions:

Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 for additional information.

Collection Rights:

Copyright restrictions apply. Contact the archives staff for information.

Collection Citation:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

J. Scott Odell folk music collection

J. Scott Odell folk music collection / Series 8: Accruals / 8.1: Biographical Material

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-cfch-odel-ref780

Collector:

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

National Museum of American History. Division of Musical History.  Search this

Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Names:

Duke Ellington Orchestra  Search this

Washingtonians, The.  Search this

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

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

Extent:

400 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Phonograph records

Papers

Photographic prints

Posters

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks

Music

Clippings

Awards

Audiotapes

Place:

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

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

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

Date:

1903 - 1989

Summary:

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

Scope and Contents:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrangement:

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

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

Series 3: Business Records, 1938-1988

Series 4: Scripts and Transcripts, 1937-1970

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

Series 6: Sound Recordings, 1927-1974

Series 7: Photographs, 1924-1972, undated

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1931-1973

Series 9: Newspaper Clippings, 1939-1973, undated

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

Series 11: Publicity, 1935-1988

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

Series 13: Awards, 1939-1982

Series 14: Religious Material, 1928-1974

Series 15: Books, 1903-1980

Series 16: Miscellaneous, 1940-1974

Biographical / Historical:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

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

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

Duke Ellington Oral History Project (AC0368)

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

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

Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0388)

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Prints (AC0389)

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

Earl Okin Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0391)

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

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415)

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

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422)

Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia (AC0494)

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

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

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

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0763)

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240)

Materials at Other Organizations

Institute of Jazz Studies

Separated Materials:

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

Provenance:

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

Restrictions:

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

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0301

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution  Search this

Uniform title:

Facebook (Electronic resource)  Search this

Subject:

National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution)  Search this

National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.)  Search this

Lemelson Center Spark!Lab  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program  Search this

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Smithsonian Enterprises  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Museum on Main Street  Search this

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Office of Advancement Smithsonian Women's Committee  Search this

United States Agency for International Development  Search this

My Armenia Program  Search this

Smithsonian Affiliations (Program)  Search this

George Washington University  Search this

Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access  Search this

Smithsonian Craft2Wear (Craft show)  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2018

Topic:

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Online social networks  Search this

Social media  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-051

See more items in:

Website Records 1995-2020 [Smithsonian Institution]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404485

Creator:

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this

Subject:

Dinosaurs in Our Backyard (Online exhibition)  Search this

Losing Paradise?: Endangered Plants Here and Around the World (Online exhibition)  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2018

Topic:

Natural history museums  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-052

See more items in:

Website Records 1994-2020 [National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404486

Creator:

National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.)  Search this

Uniform title:

Facebook (Electronic resource)  Search this

Instagram (Electronic resource)  Search this

Snapchat (Electronic resource)  Search this

Subject:

Smithsonian Institution  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Twitter (Firm)  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2016

Topic:

Web sites  Search this

Social media  Search this

Online social networks  Search this

Blogs  Search this

African Americans  Search this

Historical museums  Search this

Special events  Search this

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-053

See more items in:

Website Records 2011-2020 [National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.)]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404487

Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2009

2009-2020

Topic:

Archives--Public relations  Search this

Museum archives  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Blogs  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-054

See more items in:

Website Records 2001-2003, 2009-2020 [Archives of American Art]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404488

Creator:

Archives of American Art  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2016

circa 2016

Topic:

Archives--Public relations  Search this

Museum archives  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-055

See more items in:

Website Records 2001-2003, 2009-2020 [Archives of American Art]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404489

Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Uniform title:

Community Documentation Initiative (Blog)  Search this

Subject:

All the Stories are True: African American Writers Speak (Online exhibition)  Search this

Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life (Online exhibition)  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2014

2014-2020

Topic:

Web sites  Search this

Blogs  Search this

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Research  Search this

Community museums  Search this

Museums and community  Search this

Museums--Collection management  Search this

Museums--Educational aspects  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-056

See more items in:

Website Records c. 2004-2005, 2011-2020 [Anacostia Community Museum]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404490

Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Type:

Electronic records

Collection descriptions

Web sites

Date:

2014

circa 2014

Topic:

Web sites  Search this

Community museums  Search this

Museums--Public relations  Search this

Museums--Educational aspects  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Research  Search this

Museums and community  Search this

Museums--Collection management  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 20-057

See more items in:

Website Records c. 2004-2005, 2011-2020 [Anacostia Community Museum]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404491

Collection Creator:

Hardesty, Von, 1939-  Search this

Extent:

14 Documents

Container:

Box 21, Folder 10

Type:

Archival materials

Text

Documents

Date:

1945-1984

Scope and Contents:

extracts from various publications related to the 1944 Belorussian compaign by Soviet forces, including:

S. I. Rudenko, "The Belorussian Air Offensive (June-August 1944)" (translated by John T. Greenwood), -- Aerospace Historian -- 20, 1:17-26. English language article (photocopy)/

S. Golubev, "The Soviet Air Forces in the Belorussian Operation," -- Voyenno-Istoricheskiy Zhurnal -- , No. 8 (August 1984), pp.32-38; uncredited translation "Employment of Air Force in Belorussian Operation Viewed," pp.26-33. English language article (photocopy).

Vassili Grossman, -- With the Red Army in Poland and Byelorussia (First Byelorussian Front, June-July 1944) -- , translated by Helen Altschuler (London: Hutchinson & Co, 1945). English language monograph (photocopy).

Valerie Moolman, -- Women Aloft -- , ( -- The Epic of Flight -- ), (Chicago: Time-Life Books, 1981). English language monograph (extracts; photocopy).

M. V. Zakharov, et al. -- 50 let vooruzhennykh sil SSSR -- (Moscow: Voennoe izd-vo Ministerstva oborony SSSR, 1968). Russian language monograph (extracts, pp.407-423; photocopy).

В. Созинов [V. Sozinov], "Взаимодействие Войск ПВО страны с силами и средствами ПВО и ВВС фронтов в третьем периоде войны" ["Vzaimodeĭstvie Voĭsk PVO strany s silami i sredstvami PVO i VVS frontov v tret'em periode voĭny"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1975, no.11, pp.20-26. Russian language article (photocopy).

В. Мягков [V. Mi͡agkov], "Боевое применение авиации в армейской наступательной операции" ["Boevoe primenenie aviat͡sii v armeĭskoĭ nastupatel'noĭ operat͡sii"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1976, no.7, pp.20-28. Russian language article (photocopy).

И. Иноземцев [I. Inozemt͡sev], "Действия авиации по разгрому группы армий «Север» (Январь-Февраль 1944 года)", ["Deĭstvii͡a aviat͡sii po pazgromu gruppy armiĭ 'Seber' (I͡Anvar'-Fevral' 1944 goda)", -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1976, no.7, pp.20-28. Russian language article (photocopy).

Д. Бедненко, И. Михайленко [D. Bednenko and I. Mikhaĭlenko], "Войска ПВО страны в операции «Багратион»" ["Voĭska PVO strany v operat͡sii 'Bagration'"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1974, no.7, pp.10-16. Russian language article (photocopy).

С. Руденко [S. Rudenko], "Особенности боевых действий авиации в Белорусской операции" ["Osobennosti boevykh deĭstviĭ aviat͡sii v Belorusskoĭ operat͡sii"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1971, no.2, pp.22-31. Russian language article (photocopy).

Н. Чедлеев [N. Chedleev], "Противовоздушная оборона переправ в третьем периоде войины" ["Protivovozdushnai͡a oborona pereprav v tret'em periode voĭny"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1975, no.3, pp.19-24. Russian language article (photocopy).

Н. Скоморохов [N. Skomorokhov], "Оперативное искусство ВВС в наступательных операциях третьего периода Великой Отечественной войны" ["Operativnoe iskusstvo VVS v nastupatel'nykh operat͡sii͡akh tret'ego perioda Velikoĭ Otechestvennoĭ voĭny"], -- Военно-исторический Журнал -- [ -- Voenno-istoricheskiĭ Zhurnal -- ], 1974, no.9, pp.32-42. Russian language article (photocopy).

Georgiĭ Zhukov, -- The Memoirs of Marshal Zhukov -- (New York: Delacorte Press, 1971). English language monograph (pp.521-529; photocopy).

Collection Restrictions:

No restrictions on access.

Collection Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Collection Citation:

Russian Aeronautical Collection, ACC. 2006-0034, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Russian Aeronautical Collection

Russian Aeronautical Collection / Series 3: Soviet Union (World War II, 1941-1945)

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nasm-2006-0034-ref770

Collection Creator:

Robsjohn-Gibbings, Terence Harold, 1905-  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 6

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1972

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Collection 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.

Collection Citation:

Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings papers, 1898, 1915-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection was funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art

See more items in:

Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings papers

Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings papers / Series 2: Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-robstere-ref24

Collection Creator:

Artists Talk on Art  Search this

Extent:

0.2 Linear feet (Box 4)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1975-1989

Scope and Contents:

Three scrapbooks contain primarily printed materials. Scrapbook 1 is entitled "History and Facts". Scrapbook 2 has been dismantled into four folders and includes a section on general publicity and a section containing a nearly complete set of panel flyers dating from 1975-1989, many of which are annotated. Scrapbook 3 was labeled "Lori Antonacci" and has been dismantled into two folders containing mostly publicity related printed materials and a few letters.

Collection Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection 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.

Collection Citation:

Artists Talk on Art records, circa 1974-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.artitalk, Series 7

See more items in:

Artists Talk on Art records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-artitalk-ref32