William H. Butler audio collection

id
11870
origination
Butler, William H. (William Henson), 1903-1981
date statement
circa 1947-1959
key date
1947
identifier (local_mss)
188276
org unit
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division
call number
Sc MIRS Butler 1985-04
b-number
b22253904
total components
2
total series
0
max depth
1
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2025-06-27 18:47:00 UTC
updated
2025-06-27 18:47:03 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

unitid
{"value"=>"188276", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b22253904", "type"=>"local_b"}
{"value"=>"Sc MIRS Butler 1985-04", "type"=>"local_call"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"circa 1947-1959", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1947/1959", "certainty"=>"approximate"}
unittitle
{"value"=>"William H. Butler audio collection"}
physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"2 audio_recordings", "unit"=>"audio_recordings"}]}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division</span>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"Musician William Henson \"Billy\" Butler (1903-1981) was a conductor, violinist, and travel writer. The collection consists of two audio recordings relating to Butler's career as a travel writer and travel agent, dating from circa 1947 to 1959."}
langmaterial
{"value"=>"English"}
origination
{"value"=>"Butler, William H. (William Henson), 1903-1981", "type"=>"persname"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Musician William Henson \"Billy\" Butler (1903-1981) was a conductor, violinist, and travel writer.</p> <p>Born in New York City, Butler was classically trained at the David Mannes Music School, and at Chicago Musical College, where he graduated in 1929. He arranged music for prominent African American musicians of the early jazz era such as Eubie Blake. Butler also conducted the orchestra for several musical revues, including Lew Leslie's <span class=\"title\">Blackbirds of 1939</span> and <span class=\"title\">Rhapsody in Black</span>, and Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake's <span class=\"title\">Shuffle Along</span>.</p> <p>After encountering Jim Crow laws while traveling as a working musician, Butler compiled a directory of public accommodations that welcomed African Americans, and, in 1947, began publishing it annually under the title <span class=\"title\">Travelguide</span>. Later, he expanded the directory to include foreign countries. Butler also wrote a travel column for the <span class=\"title\">Pittsburgh Courier</span> in the 1950s, and acted as executive director of King Travel Organization, Inc., a travel agency based in New York City that catered to travelers of African descent. Butler died in New York City in 1981.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The collection consists of two audio recordings relating to Butler's career as a travel writer and travel agent, dating from circa 1947 to 1959. They are organized alphabetically by title. The recordings are vinyl records of radio interviews with William H. Butler, including one conducted by George Schuyler, a radio journalist and writer.</p>"}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Bill Lenszler, 1985.</p>"}
separatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<p>See the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division for the William H. Butler papers, Sc MG 225.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>See the Photographs and Prints Division for the William H. Butler photograph collection, Sc Photo William H. Butler Collection.</p>"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Collection inventoried by <span class=\"name\">Christopher Arena</span>. Collection processed and described by <span class=\"name\">Lyric Evans-Hunter</span>, archivist. Finding aid published in <span class=\"date\">2025</span>.</p>"}
accessrestrict
{"value"=>"<p>At the time of publishing, one vinyl record is not available pending digitization, and one vinyl record is not available pending conservation.</p>"}
relatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<p>See the Schuyler Family audio collection, Sc MIRS Schuyler 1978-27, for additional episodes of <span class=\"title\">The Negro World with George Schuyler</span>.</p>"}
sponsor
{"value"=>"An anonymous donor funded preliminary processing for this collection. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported a research library-wide grant for the digitization, and funded the Schomburg for the description and production of the finding aid as part of The Next Century of Black Studies Project."}
date_start
1947
keydate
1947
date_end
1959
date_inclusive_start
1947
date_inclusive_end
1959
extent_statement
2 audio_recordings
prefercite
{"value"=>"William H. Butler audio collection, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, The New York Public Library"}

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Resources TOP

PDF finding aid

No PDF finding aid attached.

File attachments

No files attached.

Repository Assets

No UUIDs attached.

Living at NYPL Archives

Sign in to add or edit a living at feature for this collection.

Export Collection to ArchivesSpace