The Center for Black Music Research Collection contains materials that reflect many areas of Black music including collections from composers, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music journalists, and also scores, published music, and audiovisual collections across all genres. These collection guides, or finding aids, provide access to materials held in archival special collections. The guide describes the organization and offers content information so researchers can discover relevant information.
Many musical works listed in these guides are handwritten; those listed with a publisher's name are printed. Please check the guides for more information.
Additional guides will be added as they are completed..
Please contact archives@colum.edu with questions.
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Guide to the Dena J. Epstein Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The Dena J. Epstein Collection consists of correspondence, reference notes and materials, articles and presentations, illustration photographs, biographical information, and an oral history transcript which span her nearly 60 year career as music librarian and historian.
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Guide to the Dominique-René de Lerma Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Dominique-René de Lerma (1928–2015) was a prominent, pioneering scholar in black music research, an oboist, an author, and an educator. The collection contains his research materials, collected scores, and sound recordings.
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Guide to the Ed Bland Collection
Columbia College Chicago
The Ed Bland Collection contains his scores and recordings of his compositions; his later works are primarily compositions for larger ensembles with each work listing the instrumentation required to perform the piece.
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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.