Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Herman Leonard Photographic Collection, 1948-1993

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0445
Creators:
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010
Dates:
1948-1993
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5.6 Cubic feet
10 boxes
Repository:
Jazz club photographs by noted Jazz photographer Herman Leonard.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 110 black-and-white photographic prints depicting musicians performing at various American and European jazz clubs between 1948 and 1991. The collection contains mounted and unmounted 11" x 14" and 16" x 20" prints made by Leonard. Artists represented among these photographs are Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. The photographs are organized into three series: Series 1: 11"x 14" prints, Series 2: 16" x 20" prints, and Series 3: Addenda. The series are arranged alphabetically by performer's last name. Unmatted 16" x 20" prints can be found in box 2 but are listed alphabetically by performer.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Herman Leonard (1923‑2010) was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and served as a military photographer in Burma during World War II. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in photography from Ohio University and began working with Yousuf Karsh, a Canadian portraitist. Settling in New York in 1949, Leonard began photographing jazz musicians at various jazz clubs on Broadway and Fifty‑Second Streets, and in Harlem for such publications as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Life, Look, Playboy, and Time. He later to Paris to begin a fashion and advertising business. He also continued photographing jazz musicians. In 1988 Leonard presented his first exhibition, "Images of Jazz," in London. This show established his reputation as a leading photographer of jazz and sparked further shows and publications.

Administration

Author
David Jellema and Scott Schwartz
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Herman Leonard Photographs were donated to the National Museum of American History by Mr. Leonard on December 17, 1991 and in 2006.
Accruals
An addenda consisting of twenty prints was donated by Joshua Pailet in 2006.
Processing Information
Collection processed by David Jellema and Scott Schwartz, December 2, 1993.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
The Archives Center does not own the rights to the Leonard photographs. All requests for permission to use these photographs for non‑museum purposes must be addressed to: Herman Leonard Photography, LLC, 530 South Lake Avenue #503, Pasadena, CA 91101 (818) 509-8987.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Herman Leonard Photographic Collection, 1948-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Jazz musicians -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jazz Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Music -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Haig, Al, 1924-1982 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Getz, Stan, 1927-1991 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Horne, Lena Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Heath, Percy, 1923-2005 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bennett, Tony, 1926- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blakey, Art, 1919-1990 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Davis, Miles Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Eckstine, Billy Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Camero, Candido, 1921- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Young, Lester, 1909-1959 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Terry, Clark Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Monk, Thelonious Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marsalis, Wynton, 1961- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sims, Zoot Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Russell, Curly Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Roach, Max, 1924-2007 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Holiday, Billie, 1915-1959 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington, Dinah, 1924-1963 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Davis, Miles Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Baker, Chet Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brown, Clifford Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Garner, Erroll Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mulligan, Gerry Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Webster, Ben Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gordon, Dexter, 1923-1990 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pettiford, Oscar, 1922-1960 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stitt, Sonny Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu