Scope and arrangement
The Otto Hess Photographs depict various facets of New York City cultural life in the 1930s and 1940s including musical and theatrical performances, weddings, and sporting events.
The bulk of the collection documents jazz performers in New York City from roughly 1937-1947. Musicians include Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Sidney Bechet, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, W.C. Handy, Count Basie, Charlie Christian, Eddie Condon, and Dizzy Gillespie. Also included are photographs of classical and popular musicians, actors, dancers, and athletes at venues including the Hippodrome, Central Plaza, the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo, and Town Hall. A small section of images depict Coney Island, the 1939 World's Fair, and in the Army barracks.
The collection also includes contact sheets created by the Music Division of Hess's negatives. The contact sheets likely were created in the early 1970s.
The Otto F. Hess Photographs are arranged in seven series:
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1937-1961
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1936-1948
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Series V consists of photographs on a variety of subjects.
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1939-1947, undated
Series contains mounted and large-format photographs likely used by Hess for display purposes. Photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject.
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141 pages
Notebook containing Otto Hess' inventory of photographs in previous series.