Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials
name: label: Creator
content: Celley, Al
label: Creator
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
topic: label: Topic
content: African Americans
label: Topic
content: Big bands
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Jazz -- 20th century -- United States
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians
label: Topic
content: Music trade
label: Topic
content: Musicians
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Purchased at auction by the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, May 2011.
creator: label: Creator
content: Celley, Al
label: Creator
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
setName: label: See more items in
content: Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials
abstract: label: Summary
content: A diverse collection of papers assembled by Duke Ellington's road manager, Al Celley. The collection includes correspondence, photographs of Ellington and his orchestra at various times and locations; concert ephemera; handwritten notes; business and financial documents, primarily receipts; and travel ephemera.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Albert "Al" Joseph Celley (1909-1994) was Duke Ellington's road manager from 1944 to 1964. Celley handled the band's business affairs, such as concert bookings, logistics, staging shows, and organizing tours. Celley also handled the weekly payroll, contracts, collecting money from promoters, paying road expenses, and sending weekly reports to Bill Mittler, an accountant.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.5 Cubic feet (7 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 2 films)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1943-1989
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1240
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Contracts
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Financial records
label: Type
content: Handbills
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Orchestrations
label: Type
content: Passports
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: 78 rpm records
label: Type
content: Signatures (names)
label: Type
content: 16mm motion picture film
label: Type
content: Tickets
label: Type
content: Writings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Personal Materials, 1943-1962

Subseries 1.1: Al Celley, 1943-1962

Subseries 1.2: Duke Ellington, 1948

Series 2: Correspondence, 1945-1963

Subseries 2.1: Chronological, 1945-1963

Subseries 2.2: Alphabetical, 1949-1961

Series 3: Subject Files, 1948-1963

Series 4: Financial Materials, 1944-1964

Subseries 4.1: Payroll/Salary Ledgers, 1944-1962

Subseries 4.2: Expense Notebooks, 1946, 1959

Subseries 4.3: Receipts and Bills, 1945-1964

Series 5: Photographs, 1947-1967

Series 6: Audio Visual Materials, 1945-1957

Subseries 6.1: Moving Image, 1957

Subseries 6.2: Audio Discs, 1945-1946
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, January 2014.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Contracts
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Financial records
label: Genre/Form
content: Handbills
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Orchestrations
label: Genre/Form
content: Passports
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: 78 rpm records
label: Genre/Form
content: Signatures (names)
label: Genre/Form
content: 16mm motion picture film
label: Genre/Form
content: Tickets
label: Genre/Form
content: Writings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection was assembled by Duke Ellington's road manager, Al Celley and includes correspondence, photographs of Ellington and his orchestra at various times and locations; concert ephemera; handwritten notes; business and financial documents, primarily receipts; and travel ephemera.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Duke Ellington Collection (AC0301)

Duke Ellington Oral History Project (AC0368)

This project includes an interview with Al Celley, July 12, 1989.