Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Subject of

Anderson, Ivie, American, 1905 - 1949

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 9 7/16 × 7 3/8 in. (24 × 18.8 cm)

H x W (Sheet): 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in. (25.2 × 20.2 cm)

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Place made

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date

1930-1942

Description

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of Ivie Anderson. Anderson is depicted from the chest up, against a white background. She is depicted in profile, with her head turned towards the viewer. Her chin is tilted down and resting on her proper right shoulder. Anderson is wearing a light colored, halter neck garment. Her hair is pulled back and styled in an up-do. The photographer's mark, printed in the negative, in the bottom center reads, [Maurice / Chicago]. There are no inscriptions on the front or back of the photograph.

Topic

African American

Jazz (Music)

Photography

Singers (Musicians)

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2013.46.25.128

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Subject of

Mills, Louise

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image and sheet): 14 1/8 × 11 in. (35.8 × 27.9 cm)

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Place made

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date

early 20th-mid 20th century

Description

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of Louise Cookie Mills. Mills is depicted from the shoulders up, against a white background. She is in three-quarters profile, with her head turned towards the viewer. Her eyes are closed and her head tilts towards the left. In the lower left quadrant of the image is a handwritten inscription in black ink that reads, [To Sally / a very charming / young lady / Wishing you success / always / Louise Cookie Mills]. The photographer's mark, handwritten in black ink over Mill’s right shoulder, reads, [Maurice / CHICAGO]. There is a notation in pencil on the back of the photograph.

Topic

African American

Photography

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2013.46.25.92

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Subject of

Anderson, Ivie, American, 1905 - 1949

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 9 3/8 × 7 1/2 in. (23.8 × 19 cm)

H x W (Sheet): 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in. (25.2 × 20.2 cm)

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Place made

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date

1936

Description

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of Ivie Anderson. Anderson is depicted from the shoulders up, against a white background. She is depicted in profile, at a diagonal angle. Her head turned towards the viewer but she is looking towards the upper right side of the image. Anderson is wearing a sleeveless, white garment with a ruffled collar and a dark bow tie. Her hair is pulled back. The photographer's mark, printed in the negative, in the bottom left corner reads, [Maurice / CHICAGO]. In the bottom left corner of the image is a handwritten inscription in black ink that reads, [Sally – Best Always / Ivie]. There are also additional pencil notations written on the back of the photograph.

Topic

African American

Jazz (Music)

Photography

Singers (Musicians)

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2013.46.25.179

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Subject of

Bubbles, John, American, 1902 - 1986

Medium

silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper

Dimensions

H x W (Image): 7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (19.1 × 24.2 cm)

H x W (Sheet): 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm)

Type

gelatin silver prints

portraits

Place made

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date

early 20th-mid 20th century

Description

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of a photomontage of John Bubbles posing on stage in three (3) different costumes. John Bubbles depicted on the left, is standing on a semi-circular platform, holding a cane in his proper right hand and full champagne glass in his proper left hand. He is wearing a black tuxedo and top hat. He is looking towards the other figures in the photograph. Bubbles, pictured center, is depicted with his proper left foot propped up on a shoe shine stand. He is wearing a medium toned suit, vest, striped tie, and a bowler hat. He has a cane hooked over his proper right arm and a cigarette held by his ear in his proper left hand. Bubbles pictured right, is crouched next to the shoe shine stand, holding a white cloth shining the shoe of Bubbles in the bowler hat. He is wearing a light colored newsboy cap and a plaid jacket. White text in the negative in the bottom left corner reads, [Maurice / CHICAGO]. An inscription in blue ink to the left of Bubbles reads, [To Laurie / My Dear Darling / With Best / Wishes for / your / Happiness / John / Bubbles]. There are no inscriptions on the back of the photograph.

Topic

African American

Entertainers

Photography

Vaudeville

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2013.46.25.20

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Published by

Show-Down Publishing Company, American, founded 1935

Edited by

Cathrell, Sally J. Jr., American, 1913 - 1981

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Written by

Lawrence, Neil

Dancer, Maurice

Albagli, Victor

Subject of

Anderson, Ivie, American, 1905 - 1949

Moseley, Thomas, American, 1878 - 1971

Lunceford, Jimmie, American, 1902 - 1947

Medium

ink on paper with metal

Dimensions

H x W x D (Closed): 10 7/8 × 8 3/16 × 1/16 in. (27.7 × 20.8 × 0.2 cm)

H x W x D (Open): 10 7/8 × 16 5/16 × 3/8 in. (27.7 × 41.4 × 0.9 cm)

Type

magazines (periodicals)

Place printed

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America

Date

November 1936

Description

The Show-Down magazine, volume 2, number 1. The front cover is green with navy print and features a blue tinted, image of Ivie Anderson against a blue background. Anderson is depicted from the shoulders up. Her head is turned and she is looking towards the upper right side of the image. The top right corner of the image has been replaced by a graphic of a wooden fence. The bottom left corner depicts an illustration of a turkey. Four cover lines to the left of the image read, [FINAL CHAPTER / "Dark Ghetto" / By / NEIL LAWRENCE], [PLAY BUREAU / "Fair Exchange" / By / VICTOR ALBAGLI], ["NOAH'S" / Thomas Moseley / By / MAURICE DANCER], and ["Rhythmania" / JIMMIE LUNCEFORD]. Text across the bottom of the page reads [FIRST ANNIVERSARY / November 1936 Ten Cents]. A horizontal line forms a border below the text. The masthead is centered in the top third of the front cover, and reads, [THE / SHOW-DOWN]. A horizontal blue line extends from either side of the word [THE]. The text, [SHOW-DOWN], is in large, block lettering patterned with vertical white stripes. The interior pages are white and green with black text and black-and-white images. The back cover is features an advertisement for Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra. This magazine issue is twenty (20) pages.

Transcription Center Status

Transcribed by digital volunteers

Topic

African American

Actors

Business

Dance

Entertainers

Jazz (Music)

Mass media

Musicians

Nightlife

Photography

Theatre

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2013.46.25.78

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Distributed by

Associated Booking Corporation, American, founded 1940

Subject of

Billy Ward & His Dominoes, American, 1950s-1960s

Marks, Rose

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W (Sheet): 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 in. (14 × 9 cm)

H x W (Image): 4 7/16 × 3 in. (11.3 × 7.6 cm)

Type

portraits

postcards

Place captured

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Place printed

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

1950-1969

Description

A black and white photographic postcard of Billy Ward and His Dominoes with signatures on the back.

The front of the postcard features two images superimposed over each other. In the bottom left corner is a photographic portrait of Billy Ward standing and playing a white grand piano. He is looking up towards the top right corner, where there is a portrait of the four Dominoes. All wear light-colored jackets and dark-colored ties. A small, black and white domino is visible on the proper left chest of the Dominoes' jackets. The two images are presented in two overlapping circles, as if spotlighted, against a black background. In the bottom right corner of the image is the photographer's mark [MAURICE chicago] in white.

Printed beneath the image, black text reads [BILLY WARD / And His Dominoes] on the proper right, [Personal Manager / ROSE A. MARKS] in the center, and [Associated Booking Corporation / Joe Glaser, President / NEW YORK, CHICAGO, HOLLYWOOD] on the proper left side.

The back of the postcard is oriented horizontally with printed grey text [PHOTO POST CARD] across the top and, in smaller grey text, [J. (?) K. COPY ART PHOTOGRAPHERS, N.Y.C.] and a [DEVOLITE PEERLESS] stamp box in the top right. In the center is the autograph [With all my heart / Billy Ward] in blue ink. On either side are two more autographs in graphite, [Musically / Yours / (illegible) / Van] on the left and [MUSICALLY / (illegible) / JONES] on the right. Horizontally along the left edge of the card is written [ SIGNED BY BILLY WARD & OTHERS].

The back of the postcard is horizontal. There is grey text which reads [PHOTO POST CARD] horizontally along the top and [?, ?, ? PHOTOGRAPHERS, N.Y.C. vertically down the center. In the top right corner there is a grey rectangle with the words [DEVOLITE / PEERLESS] printed inside. There are several signatures on the back as well.

Topic

African American

Conductors (Musicians)

Instrumentalists (Musicians)

Photography

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2015.97.38.4

Restrictions & Rights

Public domain

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph by

Maurice Seymour Studio, American, founded 1929

Subject of

Ellington, Duke, American, 1899 - 1974

Tizol Martinez, Juan, Puerto Rican, 1900 - 1984

Bigard, Barney, American, 1906 - 1980

Greer, Sonny, American, 1895 - 1982

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W (Sheet): 3 7/16 × 5 3/8 in. (8.7 × 13.7 cm)

H x W (Image): 3 1/8 × 5 3/16 in. (7.9 × 13.2 cm)

Type

portraits

postcards

Place captured

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date

1935

Description

A black and white photographic postcard of Duke Ellington and his orchestra.

Duke Ellington is standing in the front on the left side. His hand is resting on a piano and there is a saxophone next to him. He is wearing a white dress shirt and a black tuxedo with a white pocket square. His orchestra is standing behind him with instruments next to them, saxophones and clarinets along the front row and drums in the back. They are wearing light colored tuxedos with white dress shirts and shiny lapels. The signature of Duke Ellington in blue ink is across the center of the phtoograph. At the bottom right corner is the photographer's mark [Maurice / Chicago] in white.

The back of the postcard is white. There is grey printed text which reads [POSTCARD / CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS] across the top and a stamp box with E K K P in the corners.

Topic

African American

Musicians

Photography

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

2015.97.38.5

Restrictions & Rights

Public domain

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture