Found 79 collections related to African Americans in the performing arts

Ron Carter is a leading jazz bassist. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree at the Eastman School of Music in 1959 where he played in the Rochester Philharmonic and the Eastman Philharmonia. Carter received his Masters of Music Degree at the Manhattan School of Music in 1961. He taught in Missouri and New York City and played with many musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Carter toured widely in the United States, Europe and Japan and appeared on television shows, in concert halls and theaters, nightclubs, on college campuses, and at jazz festivals. He also published technical manuals, "Building a Jazz Line", in three volumes. The collection consists of correspondence, transcripts of grades, graduation programs and other printed material related to Carter's education at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and the Manhattan School of Music. Included are music programs from the Eastman Philharmonia conducted by Howard Hanson, in which Carter played. There are a few performance contracts and many programs of his performances, articles about him in international magazines and news clippings. Copies of Carter's publication as well as what appears to be the Japanese translation of "Building a Jazz Line" complete the collection. less

Positive Youth Troupe was organized in 1982 in the Bronx, New York and is a part of Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, a non-profit arts and education program. From November through January, the Positive Youth Troupe members, ages 13-21, attend weekly workshops for professional training in dance, music, and theater. From February through June, they tour junior and senior high schools and community centers in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area. The Positive Youth Troupe Collection consists of correspondence, touring itineraries, choreographic notes, and the script and lyrics to songs featured in the original musical the troupe performed, "No Laughing Matter." Written by H. Sefus Henderson and Will Halsey, the musical tells the story of an African-American prep school student and the peer pressure he faces upon returning to his community. Also in the collection are three programs documenting the troupe's performance of this musical at City College, Staten Island Teen Pregnancy Network, Inc., and at Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center. less

Actress, teacher. First wife of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. News clippings related to Powell's appearance in the plays "Bamboola," 1929, "Harlem," 1929, and "Singin' the Blues." Additional clippings refer to her engagement and marriage to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., 1930s. Several letters deal with her work as a public school teacher, speaker, and Jimmy Carter supporter. less

Organist. Melville Charlton served as organist for several churches and Jewish synagogues in New York City; he also gave concert tours and wrote the popular piano piece, "Poem Erotique." He was the first African-American organist to be admitted to the American Guild of Organists. Charlton was born in 1880 and died in 1973. Correspondence and memorabilia documenting Charlton's seventy years as a musician culminating in a 90th birthday celebration in 1970. Includes biographical information, correspondence, birthday cards, programs, and certificates. less

Biographer of Ira Aldridge, the free born African-American actor who achieved fame in Europe for his interpretation of Shakespearean roles from the 1820s to his death in 1867. Mortimer began collecting materials on Aldridge after his migration to the United States in 1946, some of which were exhibited at the Chicago Public Library in 1954. His biography Speak of Me As I Am: the Story of Ira Aldridge was published in 1989. Owen Mortimer is a native of Australia. Exhibition and biographical materials relating to Ira Aldridge, and correspondence between his daughter Amanda Aldridge and biographer Owen Mortimer. less

The Owen Dodson Collection consists principally of printed matter describing Dodson's career as a poet, playwright and novelist. There are also programs, obituaries and a memorial, a few of his poems and an extensive bibliography. Additionally, the collection contains a handwritten poem (1940's), postcards he wrote to his friend Sol Gordon, court documents and correspondence regarding Dodson's estate and his will. less

Music and dance promoter. Glover was founder and active member of the National Association of Negro Musicians which promoted the careers of black musicians and singers. He died in 1993. The George Washington Glover collection is a compilation of materials focusing on the music industry, spotlighting the work and contributions of William Christopher Handy. The papers consist of correspondence, issues of the Handy Music Company publication, "The Handy News," other printed material and news clippings. Incoming letters (1934-1956) are primarily from W.C. Handy concerning the promotion of music composed by African Americans, in part via the Handy Brothers Music Company. Included are issues of "The Handy News" (1951-1957) which contain articles about blues and other forms of American music, its artists and patrons. Other material consists of programs, sheet music, and press releases. Information documenting Handy's efforts to aid blind black musicians, like himself, include brochures for the W.C. Handy Foundation for the Blind and a program for the Lighthouse Music School in Braille. Lastly, there are news clippings (1942-1956) reflecting the latter years of Handy's life, including advertisements for the Handy Brothers Music Company. less

Scholar of African-American culture and history and an analyst of how African Americans are portrayed. Taught at the University of Massachusetts for 31 years and helped found its African-American Studies Dept. He died in 1993. Collection documents part of an exhibition on Afro-American history organized by the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution on African-American musicians. Papers consist of research material gathered by consultant Sidney Kaplan and his assistant, including sheet music, research notes, subject file of clippings and printed matter on various Adrican musicians, and correspondence with Alberta Hunter, Middleton Alexander "Spike" Harris, Caterina Jarboro, Noble Sissle, and several African-American university museums and archives. less

The Clarence Cameron White papers (Additions) reflect the musical career of this composer, violinist and music teacher covering the last twenty years of his life from approximately 1940 to 1960. Included are correspondence, manuscript and printed music, programs, press releases, writings and scrapbooks. less

African-American arts aficionado Robert LaPrince was known primarily as the founder and president of the National Council for Culture and Art (NCCA), a non-profit, charitable, educational public service and artist support organization. NCCA's two touchstone programs, the Monarch Awards and Opening Night, honored and featured a variety of established upcoming people of color in the performing arts. Prior to founding NCCA, LaPrince obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh (1976) in sociology, and worked for the National Council of Negro Women. As an educator, he worked as an adjunct professor at Hunter College, Medgar Evers College, York College and the University of Pittsburgh in the 1970s and 1980s. LaPrince was also a social worker and teacher for the New York City Board of Education in the 1980s. The Robert LaPrince/National Council on Culture and Art (NCCA) Records are divided into two series, Personal and Professional. The bulk of the collection consists of the records of the NCCA and includes board agendas, minutes, reports and correspondence; planning files for the Monarch Awards and Opening Night programs, correspondence, contracts, financial records, fliers, grant proposals, artist information files, and news clippings. less

The Alberta Hunter Papers consist of personal and professional papers documenting Hunter's singing and nursing careers. Her personal papers consist of reminiscenses, family correspondence (1964-1985), personal correspondence (1924-1985), passports, financial records and address books. less

Actress, singer, poet, playwright. Private secretary to actor Leigh Whipper. Davis' scrapbooks include news clippings relating to Davis' career as a performer; and plays, fables, poems, jokes and gags written by Davis. Also, musical compositions consisting of photocopies of music, 1948-1974; and a scrapbook about Leigh Whipper containing news clippings and other printed material, 1978. less

The Canada Lee Foundation Records consist of organizational records including by-laws, minutes of the board of trustees, a draft of the organizational manual and brochures. Correspondence with Frances Lee and members of the board document the promotion of the objectives of the organization, especially the memorial album privately produced in Canada Lee's honor. There is also material regarding the presentation of awards and scholarships, and questionionnaires and correspondence used to encourage summer stock theaters and colleges to accept more African-American students. less

The Donald Eno Washington Papers have been divided into two series: Personal and Professional. Neither series contains many letters or supporting documentation he prepared for his professional activities. The Personal Papers series includes correspondence with his wife and sons, numerous personal letters from his many friends, a large number discussing his dancing and ability to teach and perform. Other papers deal with his health problems, including complications resulting from AIDS. less

Edward D. Coleman was a musical arranger and composer. He was a member of the trio known as Day, Dawn, and Dusk. Coleman was Dawn; the other members of the trio included, at different times, Robert Carver, Augustus Dewey Simons, and Mack Smith. The group performed during the 1930s and 1940s. Papers consist of handwritten sheet music used by the trio Day, Dawn, and Dusk, including some arrangements by Coleman. less

Ernest Truesdale, whose stage name was Tad Truesdale, was a dancer, choreographer, actor, writer, producer and director. He studied acting at the New School for Social Research, and dance with Charles Weidman and at the Katherine Dunham School. A versatile performer, Truesdale's career dealt mostly with African, calypso and African American aspects of theater. His work primarily was in New Jersey and New York City. As a dancer, he had two dance acts in the 1950's: Truesdale and Francine, and Truesdale and Theral, and also danced in Broadway musicals, including "St. Louis Woman" and "Carmen Jones," and toured Europe and Asia with a variety of shows including the Harlem Blackbirds. He was a student member of the American Negro Theatre Company and appeared in the Broadway production of "Anna Lucasta." Truesdale also performed in several Off-Broadway productions, television and made recordings. From 1975-1984 he worked with La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in New York City as playwright and director. He also was active with dramatics in the public schools. The Ernest "Tad" Truesdale Papers primarily document the performer's professional career and includes biographical information, playscripts, news clippings, reviews, programs, correspondence and financial records. There are contracts (1949-1953), a script, letters and news clippings related to the American Negro Theatre; programs and news clippings related to Truesdale's career as a dancer; letters and news clippings pertaining to the Harlem Blackbirds and their performances in Ceylon (1952); and news clippings about his performance in New York City's African Room with the Richie Havens Trio. Additionally, the collection includes information about the CAN DO festival held in New Jersey of which Truesdale was director (1966); and about his involvement with the La Mama Theatre. The many scripts contained in Truesdale's papers are ones which he either wrote or performed, including "Daddy! Daddy!" which he authored and was performed at La Mama, "The Godsong," a gospel rock revival of James Weldon Johnson's "God's Trombones" (1975), "The Journeychain Show" (1976), "Nine Days of Ilo" (1976), and "The Manhattan Paul Revue" (1984). Of interest is a portfolio entitled "Back to the ANT on the Hill" referring to Truesdale's theatrical origins with the American Negro Theatre. The portfolio consists of programs, news clippings, photographs, tickets and press releases (1945-1987). Several of Truesdale's high school papers and yearbooks complete this collection. less

The records of the First World Festival of Negro Arts, U.S. Committee Press Agent Files consist of minutes of committee meetings, correspondence pertaining to the planning for American participation in the festival, pre-festival informational packets, biographical information of festival participants and U.S. Committee members, lists of material sent to the festival, press releases, material regarding a reception held for President Leopold Senghor of Senegal, and post-Festival reports. less

The Gilbert Price collection, 1965-1991, consists primarily of printed material. The collection contains several drafts of a biographical essay about Price written by Allen Warren Smith, a close friend and business associate, and administrative records of Variety Recording Studios, which Smith directed, relating to the Price's career. There are also programs and playbills for productions in which Price held a leading role, newspaper clippings and reviews about Price, along with a ledger of his personal finances kept by Smith. Included is material relating to the planning of the memorial service for Price, held on February 5, 1991 at the Actors Chapel, St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church and obituaries. less

The bulk of the Charles Gordone Collection pertains to the author's Pulitzer-prize winning play "No Place to Be Somebody," which includes several versions of the play script, programs, letters, playbills, flyers, posters, production and showcase materials, press, and two files for awards Gordone received from the Pulitzer Prize and the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1970 and 1971, respectively. less

Richard Harrison (1864-1935) was an actor appearing most notably in "Green Pastures." He was also a skilled reader and interpreter of Shakespere. Material pertaining to Harrison's portrayal of "de Lawd" in the play THE GREEN PASTURES written by Marc Connelly consisting primarily of news clippings referring to Harrison and the play, Harrison's death in 1935, some letters to Harrison from family members and others, including Paul Lawrence Dunbar, as well as a biography of Harrison entitled "Even Playing 'De Lawd': Some Experiences from the Life of Richard Harrison" written by Olive L. Jeter. less

Collection of photographs, original documents and correspondence related to the Horne family, assembled by Gail Lumet Buckley during the research and writing of her book "The Hornes: An American Family" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.) Included are articles, programs, awards, memorabilia, business correspondence and papers, financial data, and other printed material dealing with the careers of singer Lena Horne, her uncle, Frank S. Horne, a member of the Roosevelt "black cabinet" and poet, and other members of the Hornes and their extended family. less

The John Marriott Papers reflect Marriott's acting career in theater, movies and television commercials. The Personal Papers series, 1940-1977, consists of biographical information, news clippings, obituaries, personal correspondence from friends, and certificates. less

The Helen Armstead-Johnson Miscellaneous Theater Collections (HAJMTC) are formed by over two hundred file-folder level collections (1 to 3 file folders per personality/event). The collections contain information dating from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century documenting early dramatic actors, minstrel shows, vaudeville, musical revues, 1920s and 30s Broadway productions, the protest dramas of the 1940s and 50s, plays that came out of the Black Arts Movement of the late 60s and 70s, and theatrical productions of the 1980s and 90s. In addition to actors, playwrights, singers, musicians, and dancers (classical and popular) (e.g. Ira Frederick Aldridge, Eubie Blake and Katherine Dunham), and the productions they appeared in, there are collections for poets, and visual and plastic artists. There are eighteen collections documenting performers of the 19th century; twenty-nine collections covering the period 1900-1919; thirty-seven collections document the 1940s-1950s; and eleven collections for the 1980s and 1990s. The bulk of the collections cover the two most productive periods for black theater: ninety-two collections for the 1920s through the 1930s, and ninety collections representative of the Black Arts Movement. less

Singer, actor. Bledsoe created the role of Jo and the interpretation of the song "Old Man River" in the original production of "Show Boat" (1927) and is also known for his title role in "The Emperor Jones.". Correspondence, contracts, musical compositions, legal documents, financial records, programs, broadsides, and news clippings documenting Bledsoe's professional career, particularly in Europe. Items of significance include legal correspondence and court documents generated by his lawsuit against Lew Leslie of "Blackbirds" fame, a manuscript score of Shirley Graham's opera "Tom Tom," and a large number of manuscript compositions by Bledsoe, as well as several letters from composer Clarence Cameron White. Also, personal correspondence with friends and family members, and papers relating to a business that he owned. Of special interest is a substantial number of musical manuscripts of art songs, spirituals and instrumental pieces composed and arranged by Bledsoe. less

Lex Monson (Elexendre Remus Monson) was an actor, singer, chorus director and producer. He studied at the Detroit Institute of Music and Drama, and the Robert Nolan School of Music and was a member of the School's famed choir. Monson changed his name to Lex Monson after he moved to New York City. He appeared in the original Broadway production of Vinette Carroll's "Trumpets of the Lord," in 1969. Among the other productions Monson appeared in were the European productions of "Trumpets of the Lord," "Macbeth," "Keyboard," "The Orchard," "God's Trombones," "Joe Turner Come and Gone," and "Driving Miss Daisy.". The Lex Monson collection consists primarily of printed matter. There are also letters from a friend (1980-1986) serving in the military. Programs and reviews of Monson's work over the years make up the bulk of the collection and have been organized chronologically. There are also play scripts for "Grassi's Lute" (2 versions): "Gassire's Lute" and "Gassire's Luter" (for speaking chorus adapted by Lex Monson, translated by Alta Jablow); and "True Colors: The Beat Goes On" by Linda M. Yearwood. less

Singer, song sylist, nightclub entertainer. Papers consist of personal papers including naturalization and immigration documents, correspondence with her husband, Kelsey Pharr, family papers and fan mail. Professional papers include contracts, dates concerning nightclub performances and recordings; sheet music and manuscript music performed and collected by Mercer, music with correspondence attached from composers and lyricists requesting Mercer to include their works in her repertoire in addition to honors, awards, programs, scrapbooks and posters. less

Printed material relating to the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) including programs and playbills from NANM and other small groups; and annual breakfast, convention and conference materials, and other records of the New York and New Jersey chapters of NANM and the National Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Other material relating to concert performances by black artists consisting primarily of programs and playbills, scrapbooks, and news clippings. Also programs, playbills, news clippings, newsletters, and financial reports pertaining to the Thomas Music Study Club, founded by Blanche K. Thomas, which was affiliated with NANM since 1946. Papers of Glover and his wife, Martha Seabrook Glover, contain personal and professional correspondence, and documents concerning the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Free-Masonry, the Oddfellows, the Republicans and Democratic parties, church groups, the A. Philip Randolph Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund, the Patriotic American Society, the Harlem Cultural Council, and news clippings about Glover. Also, personal papers of Martha Seabrook Glover relating to the Seabrook family. less