Herman Leonard Photographic Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History
label: Names
content: Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971
label: Names
content: Baker, Chet
label: Names
content: Bennett, Tony, 1926-2023
label: Names
content: Blakey, Art, 1919-1990
label: Names
content: Brown, Clifford
label: Names
content: Camero, Candido, 1921-
label: Names
content: Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965
label: Names
content: Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965
label: Names
content: Davis, Miles
label: Names
content: Davis, Miles
label: Names
content: Eckstine, Billy
label: Names
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
label: Names
content: Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
label: Names
content: Garner, Erroll
label: Names
content: Getz, Stan, 1927-1991
label: Names
content: Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-
label: Names
content: Gordon, Dexter, 1923-1990
label: Names
content: Haig, Al, 1924-1982
label: Names
content: Heath, Percy, 1923-2005
label: Names
content: Holiday, Billie, 1915-1959
label: Names
content: Horne, Lena
label: Names
content: Marsalis, Wynton, 1961-
label: Names
content: Monk, Thelonious (19171010-19820217)
label: Names
content: Mulligan, Gerry
label: Names
content: Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955
label: Names
content: Pettiford, Oscar, 1922-1960
label: Names
content: Roach, Max, 1924-2007
label: Names
content: Russell, Curly
label: Names
content: Sims, Zoot
label: Names
content: Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998
label: Names
content: Stitt, Sonny
label: Names
content: Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967
label: Names
content: Terry, Clark
label: Names
content: Washington, Dinah, 1924-1963
label: Names
content: Webster, Ben
label: Names
content: Young, Lester, 1909-1959
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- United States
label: Topic
content: Jazz
label: Topic
content: Music -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Herman Leonard Photographs were donated to the National Museum of American History by Mr. Leonard on December 17, 1991 and in 2006.
creator: label: Creator
content: Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010
setName: label: See more items in
content: Herman Leonard Photographic Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Jazz club photographs by noted Jazz photographer Herman Leonard.
accruals: label: Accruals
content: An addenda consisting of twenty prints was donated by Joshua Pailet in 2006.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Herman Leonard (1923‑2010) was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and served as a military photographer in Burma during World War II.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.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5.6 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1948-1993
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0445
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by David Jellema and Scott Schwartz, December 2, 1993.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: 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.