Found 12 collections related to African American women entertainers

The Urban Arts Corps (UAC) Photograph Collection depicts the Corps' activities as well as documents aspects of the professional career of its founder/director, Vinnette Carroll. The collection consists of individual and group portraits of Carroll, cast members, and technical and artistic staff; publicity scenes and candid shots of actors and directors in rehearsal and off-stage; and views of award ceremonies, cast parties, television interviews and other related events. Some productions, cast members and events are unidentified. less

African-American jazz soloist Maxine Sullivan was known for her cool and arresting "whispering voice," soothing style, gentle rhythmic phrasing, and intricate swing delivery. She became well known in the late 1930s for her swing performance of the Scottish traditional ballad "Loch Lomond." The song became her signature piece and catapulted her career. During this period Sullivan performed as the main act at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street alongside bassist John Kirby and his band. The two married in 1938 but were divorced three years later. In 1950 Sullivan married pianist Cliff Jackson. Excluding a ten-year break she took from show-business in 1957, Sullivan's career spanned four decades. Sullivan was also popular with jazz enthusiasts outside of the United States and she toured internationally several times. The Maxine Sullivan Papers document her career as a jazz performer and span the years 1936-1990, with the bulk of the material coinciding with her "comeback" period of the early 1970s until her death in 1987. The collection consists largely of holograph arrangements and sheet music, along with song lyrics and song lists for performances filed in the Music series. The breadth of Sullivan's career, professional circle, demand, international renown and fan base is revealed in the Correspondence series which contains letters from her friends, admirers, and professional contacts, and the Printed Matter series which consists of newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, programs, and posters and flyers advertising performances. less

Lily Yuen was a singer and dancer, who also considered herself a comedienne, performer of novelty songs, parodies and specialty acts, as well as an emcee, during the 1920's and 1930's. She was a principal in the Brownskin Models, an annual touring revue produced by Irvin C. Miller in which her sister, Libo, also appeared. Yuen performed in "Broadway Rastus," "Fast and Furious" and "Yeah Man." Lily Yuen, also known as "Hoy Hoy" and "Pontop," was born in Georgia and lived her adult life in New York City. The Lily Yuen Papers provides some documentation of the dancing and entertainment career of this revue performer, in addition to containing personal family papers. A small number of papers pertain to Yuen's mother, brother, husband, and her sister and colleague, Libo (Olivia) Yuen. Of interest are two manuscript joke books containing hundreds of jokes, many titled, often about the relationship between men and women. There are also programs for the Brownskin Models, "Fast and Furious" and "Yeah Man," and sheet and manuscript music, some with parts, and most annotated, including "Can't Believe" and "Why Do I Lie to Myself About You?" A scrapbook of newsclippings documents Yuen's career as a Brownskin Model during the group's nationwide tours (1926-1930). The scrapbook emphasizes Yuen's fellow dancer, Blanche Thompson, who was a principal dancer in Brownskin Models, as well as Florence Mills of "Bye Bye Blackbirds" fame. Yuen's sister, Libo, is also mentioned in the scrapbook as a dancer. less

Florence Mills (1886-1927), world renowned entertainer during the 1920s. She starred in Lew Leslie's Plantation Revue and Blackbirds after a successful run as the lead in Shuffle Along. Collection contains personal papers that include biographical information and letters; and professional papers, including letters, contracts and printed materials. less

The collection contains a diversity of materials which document Browne's personal and professional life. The personal papers include biographical materials consisting of her birth certificate, last will and testament, and medical records as well as letters from artistic friends Jester Hairston (actor), Langston Hughes (poet), James Weldon Johnson (educator and poet) and Lois Mailou Jones (visual artist). Browne's family papers are also contained within her personal papers. These files include correspondence, military records (1916-1940, scattered) and death certificates for her cousin Walter Scott Cowen. The documents making up her professional papers primaraly reflect her artistic career. Files include correspondence, writings which include poems, short stories and plays she performed (many of which were sent to her by the artists, and printed materials consisting of programs and clippings (mainly featuring the Boston Players and Marie Joe Browne's solo performances). There are also awards and certificates that principally document Browne's service to St. Mary's County school system. less

Hilda Haynes (1912-1986) was a stage, screen and television actress whose career spanned almost forty years. Haynes was born and raised in New York City, and became an actress during the early 1940s. She studied and performed with the American Negro Theatre during the 1940s and 1950s; was a member of the Negro Actors Guild; and performed in "The River Niger" (Negro Ensemble Company) during its national tour, 1973-74; as well as in several Broadway and Off-Off Broadway shows, films and television programs. The Hilda Haynes papers consists of biographical material, including a transcript of an oral history interview, journals and scrapbooks. There are also speeches and other writings, scripts and reviews of theatrical productions Haynes appeared in; and scrapbooks of reviews and other articles, telegrams and letters. In addition to performing in plays and films, Haynes also did dramatic readings, many of which were written for her by Langston Hughes. The poetry, scripts and other materials from which she read during those readings are also in the collection. less

The Allan W. McMillan Public Relations Files document the public relations work McMillan did on behalf of his clients. The collection consists primarily of information he maintained about his clients, most of whom were in the entertainment business. Nearly all the clients were individuals, but he also represented events sponsored by organizations. Client files include newspaper and magazine clippings of articles and advertisements for the performers, promotional flyers and postcards, itineraries, resumes, correspondence and contracts, press releases, notes about the clients, photograph captions, and a few layouts McMillan prepared. less

The Ernestine McClendon Papers contain McClendon's scrapbook of responses from ad agencies to her 1960 letter campaign urging them to hire black actors and actresses. Included in the collection are her resumes, articles and reviews, some letters, contracts, music and lyrics written by McClendon, and a script and other production material for "Heartbreak by Midnight," a play she wrote which was later made into a screenplay. There are also jokes and other material for McClendon's comedy routine which she launched in 1984 at age 71. less

The Odetta Papers document her career as a folk singer and entertainer. The collection includes contracts, sheet music, correspondence, press materials, programs, flyers, posters, itineraries, travel documents, financial records, record company and management records, and clippings.There are two series, Personal papers and Professional papers, the latter constituting the larger of the two. The Personal papers series, ca. 1956-1991 (2.4 lin. ft.), includes six subseries, Biographical information; Calendars and journals; Writing; Interviews; Awards; and Correspondence. The Professional papers, ca. 1956-1990s (9.4 lin. ft.), are divided into five subseries: Music; Record companies, Performances; Financial records; and Memorabilia. The Performances subseries is further delineated into five sub-subseries: Contracts; Programs; Reviews; Other works; and Correspondence. less

The Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater vollections (HAJMTC) were formed by over two hundred file-folder level collections (one-three file folders per personality or event). The collections contain information dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, and they document early dramatic actors, minstrel shows, vaudeville, musical revues, Broadway productions, and protest dramas, among others. In addition to actors, playwrights, singers, musicians, and dancers and the productions in which they appeared, there are collections for poets and visual artists. less

Sam Wooding, jazz pianist, arranger and composer, began his career in 1912 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the 1920's-1940's he played residencies with the Society Syncopators and his Southland Spiritual Choir as well as other groups, touring the United States and Europe. In the mid-1930's Wooding attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning two degrees, including a Master's in Education. He taught during the early 1950's, then in 1953 he became the accompanist-manager for his third wife, singer Rae Harrison; thereafter the duo toured extensively throughout the world. In 1975 Wooding organized a big band, the Bicentennial Jazz Vista Orchestra. Among many "firsts" in jazz history, Wooding is credited with having the first American band to make recordings in Europe, the first black band to play a musical abroad in the "Chocolate Kiddies" in Berlin, and the first black band to tour the Soviet Union and Scandinavia. The Sam Wooding papers primarily document certain aspects of his career, with some files pertaining to his partnership with Rae Harrison, and to her career prior to their working together. Included are biographical and personal information, along with correspondence (primarily incoming) regarding their performances. There are also contracts, itineraries, programs, flyers, financial records, certificates and news clippings. A small amount of information concerns Wooding's recording career and his companies, Pan Jerbel, Inc. and Twin Signs Record Corp. Of particular interest are Wooding's manuscript musical arrangements and compositions. less