Object Details
- Creator
- Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
- Producer
- Decca (recording company).
- Performer
- Jazz at the Philharmonic (Musical group)
- Producer
- Verve Records (Firm)
- Musician
- Betts, Keter, 1928-
- Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
- Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993
- Names
- Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986
- Producer
- Granz, Norman
- Musician
- Pass, Joe, 1929-1994
- Peterson, Oscar, 1925-
- Arranger
- Riddle, Nelson
- Topic
- Jazz
- Provenance
- The collection was donated by the Fitzgerald 1989 Trust, Richard Rosman, trustee on April 14, 1997. The Ella Fitzgeral Charitable Foundation is the successor to the Fitzgerald 1989 Trust.
- Creator
- Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
- See more items in
- Ella Fitzgerald Papers
- Summary
- Ella Fitzgerald, often called the "First Lady of Song," was one of the 20th century's most important musical performers. The collection reflects her career and personal life through photographs, audio recordings, and manuscript materials.
- Biographical / Historical
- Born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25th, 1918, Ella Fitzgerald was sent to an orphanage in Yonkers, New York at the age of six. In 1934, she was discovered as a singer in New York's famed Apollo Theater Amateur Contest. This led to a stint with drummer Chick Webb's Band, with whom she recorded her first big hit, "A -tisket A-tasket" in 1938. After Webb died in 1939, Fitzgerald took over leadership of the band for three years, during which time they were featured on a live radio series. She then embarked upon a solo career, which included recording for Decca Records, and in 1946, she began a pivotal association with producer Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic series, which brought her a large international following. In 1956, Fitzgerald left Decca Records to join Granz's newly formed Verve label. Among her notable Verve recordings were a series of "songbooks" featuring the work of major American composers such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Harold Arlen as well as classic collaborations with Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Fitzgerald's toured and performed extensively and her immense popularity also led to appearances on television, in movies, and in commercials and magazine ads. Despite increasing health problems, Fitzgerald continued to tour, perform and record into her seventies with musicians such as guitarist Joe Pass, arranger-producer Quincy Jones, and pianist Oscar Peterson. Throughout her life, Fitzgerald was active in charitable work with particular emphasis on the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the Ella Fitzgerald and Harriette E. Shields Child Care Centers. Ella Fitzgerald was admired and honored world-wide. In addition to receiving more than a dozen Grammy awards, she was awarded numerous honorary degrees and many states and cities had commemorative Ella Fitzgerald days. Fitzgerald was a Kennedy Center honoree in 1979 and Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club named her "Woman of the Year" in 1982. The "First Lady of Song" died on June 17, 1996, of complications from diabetes.
- Extent
- 50 Cubic feet (92 boxes)
- Date
- circa 1935-1996
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0584
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Awards
- Videocassettes
- Audiotapes
- Programs
- Sound recordings
- Manuscripts
- Phonograph records
- Photographs
- Posters
- 16mm motion picture film
- Clippings
- Contracts
- Greeting cards
- Citation
- Ella Fitzgerald Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
- Arrangement
- The collection is organized into 10 series. Series 1: Music Manuscripts and Sheet Music, 1919-1973 Suberies 1.1: Television Shows Series 2: Photographs, 1939-1990 Subseries 2.1: Ella Fitzgerald Performing Alone Subseries 2.2: Ella Fitzgerald Performing With Others Subseries 2.3: Publicity Subseries 2.4: Ella Fitzgerald With Family, Colleagues, and Friends Subseries 2.5: Ella Fitzgerald Candid Photographs Subseries 2.6: Performing Venues Subseries 2.7: Photographs From Friends and Fans Series 3: Scripts, 1957-1981 Series 4: Correspondence, circa 1960-1996 Series 5: Business Records, 1954-1990 Series 6: Honorary Degrees and Awards, 1960-1996 Series 7: Concert Programs and Announcements, 1957-1992, undated Series 8: Clippings, 1949-1997 Subseries 8.1: Magazine Articles, 1949-1997 Subseries 8.2: Newspapers, circa 19650-circa 1990 Series 9: Emphemera, 1950-1996 Subseries 9.1: Album Jackets Subseries 9.2: Miscellaneous Series 10: Audiovisual, 1939-1995 Subseries 10.1: Sound Discs: Test Pressings, Transcription Discs, and Performer Copies, 1939-1979 Subseries 10.2: Commercial Sound Recordings, 1956-1961 Subseries 10.3: Demonstration Sound Discs: Other Artists Subseries 10.4: Sound Tapes, 1938-1996 Subseries 10.5: Videotapes, 1967-1999 Subseries 10.6: Reference Tape Cassettes (for 1/4" open reel originals)
- Processing Information
- The collection was processed by Reuben Jackson, archivist in 2001 and Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist in 2001-2004, 2008, 2015.
- Rights
- The Archives Center can provide reproductions of some materials for research and educational use. Copyright and right to publicity restrictions apply and limit reproduction for other purposes. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Genre/Form
- Awards
- Videocassettes
- Audiotapes
- Programs -- 1930-2000
- Sound recordings
- Sound recordings -- 1930-1990
- Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
- Phonograph records
- Photographs -- 20th century
- Posters -- 20th century
- 16mm motion picture film
- Clippings -- 20th century
- Contracts
- Greeting cards
- Scope and Contents
- The Ella Fitzgerald Papers document the performing and personal life of the "First Lady of Song." The collection contains music manuscripts, sheet music, photographs, scripts, correspondence, clippings, business records, sound recordings and video. The bulk of the materials reflect Fitzgerald's career as a singer and performer. The collection comprises materials found in Ella Fitzgerald's home at the time of her death.
- Restrictions
- Collection is open for research. Only reference copies of audiovisual materials can be used.
- Separated Materials
- "The National Museum of American History, Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds Ella Fitzgerald artifacts including costumes and clothing. "
- Record ID
- ebl-1503513643692-1503513643728-0
