The Center for Black Music Research Collection contains materials reflecting many areas of black music including composers, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music journalists, scores, published music, and audiovisual collections across all genres. These collection guides, or finding aids, provide access to information about held archival special collections. Each guide describes the organization and scope of a collection and offers content information, allowing researchers to discover relevant information.
Many musical works listed in these collection guides are handwritten; those listed with a publisher's name are printed. Please check the guides for more information
To make inquiries or ask questions, please contact archives@colum.edu
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Guide to the Eddie "Memphis" Curtis Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Eddie Curtis (Memphis E. Curtis) was a composer, arranger, and singer. The collection consists primarily of manuscript lead sheets for his original compositions, manuscript scores and parts, and other materials relating to his musical career.
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Guide to the Edmund Thornton Jenkins Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Edmund Thornton Jenkins was a composer, music publisher, and musician. The collection contains manuscripts of his musical compositions, printed music of his compositions published at his own press in Paris, France, and biographical information. Also included are clippings and a program (1940) concerning his sister, Mildred Jenkins Haughton, and sheet music (1917–1937 and undated) belonging to her.
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Guide to the Eileen Southern Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The Eileen Southern Collection contains documents and information that was drawn upon by Southern in her published books and articles and in the journal she and her husband, Joseph Southern, published from 1973 until 1990, The Black Perspective in Music. Also included are papers from when she served as Department Chair of the Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard, as well as correspondence between W. C. Handy and William Grant Still.
View an online exhibit from Harvard University about Eileen Southern.
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Guide to the Evelyn Davidson White Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Evelyn Davidson White, a professor of music at Howard University, was an educator, choral instructor, scholar, clinician, mezzo-soprano vocalist, and author who authored Choral Music by African-American Composers. The collection contains published and unpublished choral music by Black composers.
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Guide to the Gospel Sheet Music Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The gospel sheet music contains published music given to the CBMR from individual donors that has been gathered into one collection for access and use. the collection is arranged by alphabetically by composer's last name.