- Creator
- Attles, Joseph
- Call number
- Sc MG 458
- Physical description
- .67 linear feet (2 boxes)
- Preferred Citation
- [Item], Joseph Attles papers, Sc MG 458, 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.Restrictions apply
Joseph Attles (1903-1991) was a singer and dancer whose career spanned six decades. The bulk of his collection consists of playscripts for shows that Attles appeared in, including Bubbling Brown Sugar by Loften Mitchell, C & W, John Henry, Jericho-Jim Crow, Prodigal Son, Troupers, and Do Lord Remember Me by James de Jongh. The collection also includes: correspondence, both professional and personal; contracts and financial documents; programs of productions Attles appeared in; lyrics; and clippings related to both himself and other show business personalities.
Biographical/historical information
Joseph Attles (1903-1991) was an actor, singer and dancer,whose career spanned six decades. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Attles attended Avery Institute. He moved to NYC during the 1920s and shortly thereafter made his Broadway debut in Blackbirds of 1928, a popular musical revue that later went on tour in Europe. Attles is best known for his role of Sportin' Life in the 1950s revival of Porgy and Bess (he was Cab Calloway's understudy and after two years took on the role) and for his role in the 1975 production of Bubbling Brown Sugar. In addition, Attles appeared in La Belle Helene, The Last of Mrs. Lincoln, Jericho-Jim Crow, Kwamina, Tambourines to Glory, Prodigal Son, Black Girl, and Day of Absence. He also performed in nightclubs, including the Plantation Club in Harlem (1930s), Bricktop's (1950s), and the Copacabana (1960s), and appeared in films and television (1960s and 1970s). During the 1930s-50s, when not working on the stage, Attles was a dining car waiter on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Donated by John Brooks.
Processing information
Compiled by Andre Elizee and Diana Lachatanere, 1992. Finding aid edited and adapted to digital form by Kay Menick in 2017.
Photographs transferred to Photographs and Prints Division.
Using the collection
Location
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Conditions Governing Use
Information on copyright available from repository.
Access restrictions
access. All reproduction requests subject to limitations noted in divisional policies.