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Creator
Green, Jeffrey P.
Call number
Sc MG 333
Physical description
.33 linear feet (One archival box)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
[Item], Edmund Thornton Jenkins collection, Sc MG 333, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

This collection consists of personal and professional papers reflecting Jenkins's career as a musician and composer, and encompasses four series: personal and professional papers; family papers; Jenkins Orphanage documents; and research material. The personal and professional papers contain letters from Jenkins to his father and stepmother, Eloise C. Harleston Jenkins and letters to Jenkins from friends and professional associates, including a letter from composer Will Marion Cook. The family papers consist of letters written to the family following Jenkins's death in 1926 and documents related to his death and the disposition of his estate. The Jenkins Orphanage documents include letters, programs and playbills, and financial papers. The research material was gathered by Jeffrey P. Green, the donor and author of Edmund Thornton Jenkins: The Life and Times of an American Black Composer, 1894-1926 (1982). This material includes Green's correspondence and interviews with people who knew Jenkins; a listing from SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music) of the songs composed by Jenkins; and photocopies of articles regarding Jenkins, the Orphanage, Jenkins family members, and prominent musicians who had some sort of affiliation with the Jenkins Orphanage and the Band.

Biographical/historical information

Edmund Thornton Jenkins, born in Charleston, South Carolina, was a composer and musician. He began his musical career during his childhood with the Jenkins Orphanage Band, which was organized and led by his father, the Reverend Daniel Jenkins, to raise money for the orphanage he had established in Charleston in 1871. The band was composed of boys in the orphanage. They performed jazz and ragtime in numerous cities in the United States and England, and they were the largest single source of revenue for the orphanage.

Jenkins received his musical training from the musical directors of the Jenkins Orphanage Band, Morehouse College, and London's Royal Academy of Music (1914 - 1921). He remained in Europe following the completion of his studies at the Academy, performing with dance bands, making jazz recordings, and eventually leading the Ermitage Orchestra.

Scope and arrangement

This collection consists of personal and professional papers reflecting Jenkins's career as a musician and composer, and encompasses four series: personal and professional papers; family papers; Jenkins Orphanage documents; and research material. The personal and professional papers contain letters from Jenkins to his father and stepmother, Eloise C. Harleston Jenkins and letters to Jenkins from friends and professional associates, including a letter from composer Will Marion Cook. The family papers consist of letters written to the family following Jenkins's death in 1926 and documents related to his death and the disposition of his estate. The Jenkins Orphanage documents include letters, programs and playbills, and financial papers. The research material was gathered by Jeffrey P. Green, the donor and author of Edmund Thornton Jenkins: The Life and Times of an American Black Composer, 1894-1926 (1982). This material includes Green's correspondence and interviews with people who knew Jenkins; a listing from SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music) of the songs composed by Jenkins; and photocopies of articles regarding Jenkins, the Orphanage, Jenkins family members, and prominent musicians who had some sort of affiliation with the Jenkins Orphanage and the Band.

The Edmund Thornton Jenkins collection is arranged in four series:

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift, Jeffrey P. Green, August and November 1987.

Processing information

Accessioned by Diana Lachatanere, September 12, 1987.

Using the collection

Location

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor