Francis Wolff Jazz Photoprints
name: label: Photographer
content: Wolff, Francis, 1907?-1971
label: Names
content: Blue Note Records
label: Names
content: Coltrane, John, 1926-1967
label: Donor
content: Cuscuna, Michael
label: Names
content: Davis, Miles
label: Names
content: Monk, Thelonious (19171010-19820217)
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- 1950-2000 -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Gift of Michael Cuscuna, Mosaic Images, June 3, 2011.
creator: label: Photographer
content: Wolff, Francis, 1907?-1971
setName: label: See more items in
content: Francis Wolff Jazz Photoprints
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection consists of photographic prints from negatives by the eminent jazz photographer Francis Wolff, depicting such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and other important artists.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Wolff (born 1907 or 1908 in Berlin, Germany, died March 8, 1971 in New York City) was a record company executive, photographer and record producer. After a career as a commercial photographer in Germany, Wolff emigrated to the United States in 1939. In New York his childhood friend Alfred Lion, had co-founded Blue Note Records in the same year, and Wolff joined Lion in running the company. During Lion's war service, Wolff worked for Milt Gabler at the Commodore Music Store, and together they maintained the company's catalog until Lion was discharged. Until Lion retired in 1967, Wolff concentrated on the financial affairs of the business and only supervised occasional recording sessions produced during his visits to Europe. For the last four years of his life, when Blue Note was no longer an independent label, Wolff shared production responsibilities with pianist and arranger Duke Pearson. Wolff took photographs during the recordings sessions, usually shot during session rehearsals, throughout the period of Lion's involvement in Blue Note Records. They were used on publicity material and LP album sleeves, and have continued to be used in CD reissue booklets. [Redacted from Wikipedia entry.]
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.5 Cubic feet (1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1953-1966
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1238
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographic prints
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged into one series.

Series 1: Photoprints, 1953-1966
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by David Haberstich. 12 prints shown in the "The Blue Note Photographs of Francis Wolff," Archives Center exhibition space, National Museum of American History, April 1-July 1, 2016; David Haberstich, curator.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Twenty-five silver gelatin photographic prints (on fiber-based paper, 20" x 16") from negatives by the eminent jazz photographer Francis Wolff, depicting such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and other important artists. Descriptions of prints supplied by the donor, Michael Cuscuna.