University of Mississippi eGrove Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids Library November 2020 Finding Aid for the Sheldon Harris Collection (MUM00682) Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/finding_aids Recommended Citation Sheldon Harris Collection, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University of Mississippi This Finding Aid is brought to you for free and open access by the Library at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. University of Mississippi Libraries Finding aid for the Sheldon Harris Collection MUM00682 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY INFORMATION Summary Information Repository University of Mississippi Libraries Biographical Note Creator Scope and Content Note Harris, Sheldon Arrangement Title Administrative Information Sheldon Harris Collection Related Materials Date [inclusive] Controlled Access Headings circa 1834-1998 Collection Inventory Extent Series I. 78s 49.21 Linear feet Series II. Sheet Music General Physical Description note Series III. Photographs 71 boxes (49.21 linear feet) Series IV. Research Files Location: Blues Mixed materials [Boxes] 1-71 Abstract: Collection of recordings, sheet music, photographs and research materials gathered through Sheldon Harris' person collecting and research. Prefered Citation Sheldon Harris Collection, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University of Mississippi Return to Table of Contents » BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sheldon Harris was raised and educated in New York City. His interest in jazz and blues began as a record collector in the 1930s. As an after-hours interest, he attended extended jazz and blues history and appreciation classes during the late 1940s at New York University and the New School for Social Research, New York, under the direction of the late Dr. Marshall W. Stearns, noted jazz authority. In 1954, he joined Dr. Stearns at New York Institute of Jazz Studies, serving as a volunteer secretary until its transfer to Rutgers University in 1966. From 1963 to 1971, he was blues editor of Jazz & Pop Magazine, a national publication, writing feature stories, critiques, record and book reviews. Mr. Harris had lectured on blues and related music at Rutgers University, Alfred University, Jersey City State, Brooklyn College and Queens College, among other schools and universities as well as community and student centers, clubs and private social groups. He also organized and presented live concerts at the International Center in New York. After almost 20 years of research, his book Blues Who's Who: A Biographical Dictionary of Blues Singers was published in 1979. The 775-page work listed detailed biographical facts on 571 of the most noted singers in the history of the blues and is now considered the prime reference source in the field. It won the Memphis Blues Foundation's "National Blues Music W.C. Handy Award" in 1981 as the outstanding blues book of the year and in 1983 won its "Blues Hall of Fame Award" in the classics of blues literature category. An emendated soft-cover edition was published in 1981 and is presently in its seventh printing. In 1945, he began a 30-year professional career in the advertising business, eventually serving as a longtime account executive at Doyle Dane Bernbach Advertising Agency of New York City, handling many local and national accounts, including Ohrbach's specialty stores. He also had a three-year war service record, serving in the U.S. Air Force in England and Germany. His wife of 47 years, Gladys, died in 1994. Return to Table of Contents » SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE Over 1,800 78-rpm discs document the early commercial recordings of blues, jazz, and popular American songs. This collection particularly highlights the female "Classic Blues" singers of the 1920s and 1930s. The 589 pieces of sheet music in this collection consist of minstrel songs, coon songs, blues, jazz, ragtime, and general popular music from 1834 through 1954, with the bulk of the music primarily from the decades immediately surrounding the turn of the twentieth-century. The large numbers of minstrel and coon songs exhibit late nineteenth, early twentieth-century attitudes toward race. The research files contain much of the information Sheldon Harris used when writing his books Blues Who's Who and I Remember: Eighty Years of Black Entertainment, Big Bands, and the Blues. Materials in these files include newspaper clippings, copies of death certificates, some correspondence, and various ephemera. The photographs in this collection are mostly images used in Sheldon Harris' books Blues Who's Who and I Remember: Eighty Years of Black Entertainment, Big Bands, and the Blues. Return to Table of Contents » ARRANGEMENT This collection is arranged in 4 series and alphabetically in each series. The 78's, Photographs and Research files are organized according to subject, namely Blues artist. The Sheet Music is arranged according to the pieces' titles. 1. Series I. 78s A B C D E F G H I-J K L M N O P Q-R S T V W Y 2. Series II. Sheet Music A B C D E-F G H I J K L M N O P Q-R S T U-V W Y-Z 3. Series III. Photographs A B C D E F G H I-J K L M N O-P Q-R S T V W Y 4. Series IV. Research Files A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q-R S T U-V W Y-Z Return to Table of Contents » ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Publication Information University of Mississippi Libraries Access Restrictions The Sheldon Harris Collection is open for research; however, use of the 78s may be restricted at the curator's discretion dependant upon condition. Copyright Restrictions The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement. Additions No further additions are expected to this collection. Acquisition Information The collection was donated to the University of Mississippi by blues and jazz collector/author Sheldon Harris. The collection resided in Harris’ Brooklyn, NY residence until the donation. Blues Archivist Edward Komara made the original contacts with Sheldon Harris about acquiring the collection. Blues Curator Greg Johnson orchestrated the final arrangements with Harris’ daughter, Rina Chalkin, in 2004. Processing Information Collection processed by Greg Johnson. 78s: Mark Coltrain assisted processing the 78s, research files and photographs. Pamela Williamson and Sara Simonson assisted processing the 78s. Saida Boyce, Sara Newell and Rena Tuten assisted processing the sheet music. Finding aid encoded by Jason Kovari. Revised March 2020 by Abigail Norris. Alternative Formats Sheet music in this collection has been digitized. The photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available in the Blues Photographs digital collection. Return to Table of Contents » RELATED MATERIALS Resources at the University of Mississippi The Race Parody Sheet Music Collection is another collection of sheet music that contains minstrel and coon songs. The Ann Rayburn Collection contains sheet music of show tunes, ragtime, jazz, and popular music of the twentieth- century. Separated Material The LPs and books in this collection have been cataloged and are searchable through the online catalog. Return to Table of Contents » CONTROLLED ACCESS HEADINGS Format(s) 78 rpm records clippings (information artifacts) correspondence death certificates ephemera photographs printed ephemera research (document genres) sheet music Subject(s) African American songs African American women musicians Blues (Music) Blues musicians Folk-songs, English -- United States Jazz Jazz musicians Musicals -- Vocal scores with piano Popular music -- United States -- 1834-1954 Ragtime (Music) Revues -- Vocal scores with piano Songs, English -- United States -- 19th century Songs, English -- United States -- 20th century Women musicians Return to Table of Contents » COLLECTION INVENTORY Series I. 78s 78s. # 5 Red Caps (Gennett 7118) Side A: No Fish Today! ; Side B: Grand Central Station 6 and 7/8 Band, The (Circle 5002) Side A: High Society ; Side B: A. Tico Tico B. That Old Gang Of Mine 78s. A [Ace, Johnny] Johnny Ace (Duke 136) Side A: Pledging My Love ; Side B: No Money. Note: Performed with Johnny Board's Orch. Adams, Marie (Peacock 1614) Side A: Ain't Car Crazy ; Side B: I'm the Bluest Gal in Town. Note: Performed with Bill Harvey and Orch. 1952, $5-15 value notation note by S. Harris Adler, Larry (Decca 23319) Side A: Begin the Beguine ; Side B: Hand to Mouth Boogie. Note: Performed with John Kirby and his Orch. All Star Trio (Paramount 20021) Side A: Manyana ; Side B: Somebody Allen, Fred (Columbia A2099) Side A: The Sunshine of You Smile ; Side B: Somewhere a Voice is Calling Allen, Henry Jr. and his Orch. (Victor V-38080) Side A: Feeling Drowsy ; Side B: Swing Out Allen, Henry "Red" and his Orchestra (Vocalion 3302) Side A: When Did You Leave Heaven? ; Side B: Algiers Stomp Allen, Henry "Red" and his Orchestra (Vocalion 3292) Side A: Am I Asking Too Much? ; Side B: Until Today Allen, Rosalie (RCA Victor 20-2237) Side A: Hitler Lives ; Side B: I Can't Tell That Lie to My Heart. Note: Performed with The Black River Riders Ammons, Albert and His Rhythm Kings (Mercury 8075) Side A: Ammons Stomp ; Side B: The Clipper Ammons, Albert and His Rhythm Kings (Decca 749) Side A: Boogie Woogie Stomp ; Side B: Nagasaki Ammons, Albert and His Rhythm Kings (Mercury 8022) Side A: Swanee River Boogie ; Side B: I Don't Want to See You Ammons, Albert and Meade Lux Lewis (Columbia 35961) Side A: Bear Cat Crawl ; Side B: Shout for Joy.