Guide to the William Claxton Photography Vanessa Broussard Simmons 2007 Archives Center, National Museum of American History P.O. Box 37012 Suite 1100, MRC 601 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 archivescenter@si.edu URL: http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives
Table of Contents Collection Overview... 1 Administrative Information... 1 Arrangement... 3 Scope and Contents... 2 Biographical / Historical... 2 Names and Subjects... 3 Container Listing... 5 Series 1: Duke Ellington, 1955-1960... 5 Series 2: Other Performers, 1951-1970... 6
William Claxton Photographs Collection Overview Repository: Title: Identifier: Archives Center, National Museum of American History William Claxton Photographs Date: 1955-1960. Extent: Creator: Language: Summary: 0 Cubic Feet (28 items) Claxton, William English Photographs consist of 16 x 20 inch silver gelatin; selenium-toned archival photographic prints of jazz musicians performing and recording music throughout the United States. Administrative Information Immediate Source of Acquisition Collection purchased on March 31, 1999. Custodial History The six prints in series one were processed for Mr. Claxton by a professional laboratory in 1999. The National Museum of American History purchased the William Claxton Photographs on March 31, 1999. The photographs were previously exhibited in the National Museum of American History's 1999 centennial celebration of Duke Ellington's birth. The prints in series two were Prints made for Mr. Claxton by a professional laboratory, 1999. Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History Duke Ellington Collection, 1928-1988 (AC0301) Herman Leonard Photoprints, 1948-1993 (AC0445) Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Reference Prints [copy prints], 1923-1972 (AC389) W. Royal Stokes Collection of Music Publicity Photoprints, Interviews and Posters circa 1970-2003 (AC0766) Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie, 1940s-1993 (AC0979) Processing Information Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, 2007. Page 1 of 6
William Claxton Photographs Preferred Citation William Claxton Photographs, 1951-1971, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Conditions Governing Access Collection is open for research. Gloves required with unprotected photographs. Conditions Governing Use Copyright restrictions. Contact staff for information. Biographical / Historical William Claxton, a native of Pasadena, California, is a world-renowned photographer of jazz musicians. He is best known for establishing the visual concept for West Coast Jazz photography, the photographing of musicians in natural and "healthful" settings associated with the California life style. Musicians photographed by Claxton include such legends as Duke Ellington, Shorty Rogers, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, and Bill Evans, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gilliespie and Thelonious Monk. Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s, Claxton's interest in photography, particularly fashion and jazz photography, blossomed during his teenage years as a college student at UCLA. According to Claxton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, and Richard Avedon were his earliest influences. In 1952, he and record producer Dick Bock co-founded the Pacific Jazz record label. He was also one of the founders of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Claxton photographed album covers for all of the major recording companies of various musical genres, including his own label, and received numerous awards. In 1967, Claxton and wife, model Peggy Moffitt, completed the Rudi Gernreich fashion film Basic Black. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Claxton worked as a commissioned photographer for numerous national and international publications including Life, Time, McCall's and Playboy. In 1990 he was commissioned to create the billboard art for the Spike Lee's film, Mo Better Blues. Claxton currently works from his Beverly Hills, California, residence. When asked in a 1994 interview why he photographs jazz musicians, Claxton said, "Well, besides finding them individually visually interesting, most musicians possess a wonderful combination of being disciplined, well-trained performers who without question and at the same time remain almost totally ingenious that beautiful innocence of an artist. To me, these qualities come through in my photographs and have nothing to do with me except that I was there to record it." Recent photographic publications by Claxton include Photographic Memory (Powerhouse Books, 2002), Steve McQueen (Arena 2002), and Jazz Seen (Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 1999). Scope and Contents The collection consists of 16 x 20-inch silver gelatin; selenium- toned archival photographic prints. It is divided into two series. Series 1, Duke Ellington, 1955-1960, consists of Duke Ellington performing and recording music in Hollywood and Monterey, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, between 1955 and 1960. The photographs are arranged chronologically by date. Page 2 of 6
William Claxton Photographs Series 2, Other Jazz Musicians and Singers, 1955-1970, consists of photographs of musicians and singers such as Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Stan Kenton, Miles Davis, Dinah Washington, Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gilliespie and Ray Charles. The performers are all photographed with their instruments. Photographs are arranged in chronological order. Arrangement The collection is divided into two series. Series 1: Duke Ellington, 1955-1960 Series 2: Other Jazz Musicians and Singers, 1955-1970 Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Subjects: Jazz Music -- West coast -- 1950-1960 Musicians -- 1950-1960 -- United States Types of Materials: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000 Names: Armstrong, Louis, 1900-1971 Baker, Chet Baker, Halima Charles, Ray, 1930- Charles, Roosevelt Coleman, Ornette Coltrane, John, 1926-1967 Davis, Miles Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974 Evans, Bill, 1929-1980 George Williams Brass Band. Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993 Jones, Elvin Kenton, Stan Monk, Thelonious Mulligan, Gerry Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955 Rollins, Sonny Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998 Stan Kenton Band. Washington, Dinah, 1924-1963 Webster, Ben Page 3 of 6
William Claxton Photographs Williams, Cootie Williams, Joe, 1918- Page 4 of 6
Series 1: Duke Ellington William Claxton Photographs Container Listing Series 1: Duke Ellington, 1955-1960 Box 1, Folder 1 Duke Ellington and Jimmy Rushing; on stage, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1955. Box 1, Folder 2 Duke Ellington at piano, Monterey, California, 1958. Box 1, Folder 3 Duke Ellington at piano during a recording session, Hollywood, California, 1960. Box 1, Folder 4 Box 1, Folder 5 Box 1, Folder 6 Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges; recording session, Hollywood, California, 1960. Duke Ellington with his Orchestra; recording session, Hollywood, California, 1960. Duke Ellington examines early manuscript of Take The A-Train, recording sssion, Hollywood, California, 1960. Return to Table of Contents Page 5 of 6
Series 2: Other Performers William Claxton Photographs Series 2: Other Performers, 1951-1970 Box 2, Folder 1 Charlie Parker; La Crescinita, California, 1951 Box 2, Folder 1 Sonny Rollins; recording session, Hollywood, California, 1955 Box 2, Folder 1 Frank Sinatra, Out of a Harp Caste, Hollywood, California, 1955 Box 2, Folder 1 John Coltrane, Monterey, California, 1955 Box 2, Folder 1 Halima and Chet Baker, Risdondo Beach, 1955 Box 2, Folder 2 Stan Kenton Band, Balboa Beach, California, 1957 Box 2, Folder 2 Miles Davis, Hollywood, California, 1957 Box 2, Folder 2 Dinah Washington, Hollywood, California, 1959 Box 2, Folder 2 Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster Hollywood, California, 1959 Box 2, Folder 3 Roosevelt Charles, Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, Louisiana, 1960 Box 2, Folder 3 Ornette Coleman, Hollywood, California, 1960 Box 2, Folder 3 Dizzy Gilliespie, New York, New York, 1960 Box 2, Folder 3 Elvin Jones, New York, New York, 1960 Box 2, Folder 4 Second Liners Dance with the George Williams Brass Band, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1960 Box 2, Folder 4 Street Musician, Time Square, New York, New York, 1960 Box 2, Folder 4 Cootie Williams, Harlem, New York, 1960 Box 2, Folder 4 Joe Williams, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1960 Box 2, Folder 5 Thelonious Monk, San Francisco, California, 1961 Box 2, Folder 5 Ray Charles and Rayette, Hollywood, California, 1962 Box 2, Folder 5 Bill Evans, Hollywood, California, 1970 Box 2, Folder 5 Louis Armstrong, 1955 Box 2, Folder 5 Louis Armstrong, 1956 Return to Table of Contents Page 6 of 6