Ella Fitzgerald Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
label: Producer
content: Decca (recording company).
label: Performer
content: Jazz at the Philharmonic (Musical group)
label: Producer
content: Verve Records (Firm)
label: Musician
content: Betts, Keter, 1928-
label: Musician
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
label: Musician
content: Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993
label: Names
content: Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986
label: Producer
content: Granz, Norman
label: Musician
content: Pass, Joe, 1929-1994
label: Musician
content: Peterson, Oscar, 1925-
label: Arranger
content: Riddle, Nelson
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by the Fitzgerald 1989 Trust, Richard Rosman, trustee on April 14, 1997. The Ella Fitzgeral Charitable Foundation is the successor to the Fitzgerald 1989 Trust.
creator: label: Creator
content: Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ella Fitzgerald Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Ella Fitzgerald, often called the "First Lady of Song," was one of the 20th century's most important musical performers. The collection reflects her career and personal life through photographs, audio recordings, and manuscript materials.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25th, 1918, Ella Fitzgerald was sent to an orphanage in Yonkers, New York at the age of six.  In 1934, she was discovered as a singer in New York's famed Apollo Theater Amateur Contest.  This led to a stint with drummer Chick Webb's Band, with whom she recorded her first big hit, "A -tisket A-tasket" in 1938.

After Webb died in 1939, Fitzgerald took over leadership of the band for three years, during which time they were featured on a live radio series.  She then embarked upon a solo career, which included recording for Decca Records, and in 1946, she began a pivotal association with producer Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic series, which brought her a large international following.

In 1956, Fitzgerald left Decca Records to join Granz's newly formed Verve label.  Among her notable Verve recordings were a series of "songbooks" featuring the work of major American composers such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Harold Arlen as well as classic collaborations with Count Basie and Duke Ellington.  Fitzgerald's toured and performed extensively and her immense popularity also led to appearances on television, in movies, and in commercials and magazine ads.

Despite increasing health problems, Fitzgerald continued to tour, perform and record into her seventies with musicians such as guitarist Joe Pass, arranger-producer Quincy Jones, and pianist Oscar Peterson. Throughout her life, Fitzgerald was active in charitable work with particular emphasis on the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the Ella Fitzgerald and Harriette E. Shields Child Care Centers.

Ella Fitzgerald was admired and honored world-wide.  In addition to receiving more than a dozen Grammy awards, she was awarded numerous honorary degrees and many states and cities had commemorative Ella Fitzgerald days. Fitzgerald was a Kennedy Center honoree in 1979 and Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club named her "Woman of the Year" in 1982. 

The "First Lady of Song" died on June 17, 1996, of complications from diabetes.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 50 Cubic feet (92 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1935-1996
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0584
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Awards
label: Type
content: Videocassettes
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Manuscripts
label: Type
content: Phonograph records
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Posters
label: Type
content: 16mm motion picture film
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Contracts
label: Type
content: Greeting cards
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into 10 series.

Series 1: Music Manuscripts and Sheet Music, 1919-1973

Suberies 1.1: Television Shows

Series 2:  Photographs, 1939-1990

Subseries 2.1: Ella Fitzgerald Performing Alone

Subseries 2.2: Ella Fitzgerald Performing With Others

Subseries 2.3: Publicity

Subseries 2.4: Ella Fitzgerald With Family, Colleagues, and Friends

Subseries 2.5: Ella Fitzgerald Candid Photographs

Subseries 2.6: Performing Venues

Subseries 2.7: Photographs From Friends and Fans

Series 3: Scripts, 1957-1981

Series 4: Correspondence, circa 1960-1996

Series 5: Business Records, 1954-1990

Series 6: Honorary Degrees and Awards, 1960-1996

Series 7: Concert Programs and Announcements, 1957-1992, undated

Series 8: Clippings, 1949-1997

Subseries 8.1: Magazine Articles, 1949-1997

Subseries 8.2: Newspapers, circa 19650-circa 1990

Series 9: Emphemera, 1950-1996

Subseries 9.1: Album Jackets

Subseries 9.2: Miscellaneous

Series 10: Audiovisual, 1939-1995

Subseries 10.1: Sound Discs: Test Pressings, Transcription Discs, and Performer Copies, 1939-1979

Subseries 10.2: Commercial Sound Recordings, 1956-1961

Subseries 10.3: Demonstration Sound Discs: Other Artists

Subseries 10.4: Sound Tapes, 1938-1996

Subseries 10.5: Videotapes, 1967-1999

Subseries 10.6: Reference Tape Cassettes (for 1/4" open reel originals)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed by Reuben Jackson, archivist in 2001 and Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist in 
2001-2004, 2008, 2015.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Awards
label: Genre/Form
content: Videocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs -- 1930-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings -- 1930-1990
label: Genre/Form
content: Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Phonograph records
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Posters -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: 16mm motion picture film
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Contracts
label: Genre/Form
content: Greeting cards
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Ella Fitzgerald Papers document the performing and personal life of the "First Lady of Song." The collection contains music manuscripts, sheet music, photographs, scripts, correspondence, clippings, business records, sound recordings and video. The bulk of the materials reflect Fitzgerald's career as a singer and performer. The collection comprises materials found in Ella Fitzgerald's home at the time of her death.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials at the Archives Center

Benny Carter Collection, 1928-2000 (AC0757)

Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie, 1940s-1993 (AC0979)

Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program Collection, 1992-2012 (AC0808)

Milt Gabler Papers, 1927-2001 (AC0849)

Tad Hershorn Collection, 1956-1991 (AC0680)

Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection, circa 1910- circa 1970 (AC0491)
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: "The National Museum of American History, Division of Culture  and the Arts  (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds Ella Fitzgerald artifacts including costumes and clothing.


"