Bertha Des Verney (October 5, 1890 - January 1, 1975) was a pianist, composer, music educator, singer, and playwright. The collection consists of ten audio recordings including one release by Des Verney, and commercial releases, likely from her personal collection, by artists such as Claude "Fats" Greene Orchestra, Ike and Tina Turner, and Lena Horne.
Bertha Des Verney (October 5, 1890 - January 1, 1975) was a pianist, composer, music educator, singer, and playwright. Des Verney trained as a teacher at the Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College in Prairie View, Texas, and studied music at the A. Smythe Music Conservatory in Oak Cliff, Texas. In 1919, she joined the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Harlem, and for over forty years served as the choir and drama director. In the 1930s, Des Verney was the director of the Washington Music School in Albany, New York. She also organized the Ministers of Music and Drama League, which honored performing artists; and was a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, serving as president in 1964. Des Verney died in 1975 in New York City.
The collection consists of ten audio recordings, including one release by Des Verney. Other items include commercial calypso, gospel, and pop 7-inch records by artists including Claude "Fats" Greene Orchestra, Ike and Tina Turner, and Lena Horne, likely from Des Verney's personal music collection. They are arranged alphabetically by title. Item titles reflect the song on each side of the record.
Donor unidentified, 1977.
Collection inventoried by Nathan Evans. Collection processed and described by Ornella U. Baganizi, archivist. Finding aid published in 2025.
See the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division for the Bertha Des Verney papers, Sc MG 449.
See the Photographs and Prints Division for the photographs.
See the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division for books and magazines from this acquisition.
At the time of publishing, one record is not available pending digitization.