Sale 2471 - Printed & Manuscript African Americana, March 29, 2018

298 c   (MUSIC.) Archive of photographs taken at Manhattan’s famous integrated Café Society nightclub. Approximately 290 publicity photographs, most about 8 x 10 inches and a few smaller; light curling, a few with moderate wear, a variety of photographer’s stamps and captions on verso. [NewYork], circa 1938-48 [2,000/3,000] These photographs were taken at the famous Café Society nightclubs in Manhattan—generally regarded as the first important racially integrated night- clubs in America. Café Society opened on Sheridan Square in Greenwich Village in 1938, and Café Society Uptown followed two years later on East 58th Street. Owner Barney Josephson made a point of equal treatment for both performers and concertgoers of all races.The club quickly became known as a tastemaker in jazz and popular music as well as comedy.The club’s slogan was “The right place for the wrong people.” It became a nexus for leftist causes; the clubs closed in 1948 after skirmishes with the House Un-American Committee. These photographs were found among the papers of the club’s publicist Ivan Black.They include exterior shots, the acts on stage, and shots of the crowd seated at their tables.Musicians include Count Basie,Tommy Dorsey, and Buck Clayton.A group shot includes pianist Hazel Scott, singer Mildred Bailey, Paul Robeson, and club owner Josephson.Two others show the Andrews Sisters performing a song with folksinger Josh White (illustrated). Among the celebrities identified in the crowd were author RichardWright, politician Adam Clayton Powell, Joe Louis (in military uniform), actresses Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable, singer Frank Sinatra, Desi Arnaz with Lucille Ball, and many more.A wonderful archive of NewYork music and culture in the 1940s. 299 c   (MUSIC.) Leonard, Herman; photographer. “Miles Davis, Birdland 1949.” Gelatin silver print; 14 x 11 inches; pencil number “9542” on verso; signed and captioned by the photographer in lower margin. [NewYork], 1949?; printed circa 1980s [1,500/2,500] We haven’t been able to trace a 1949 Miles Davis appearance at the legendary New York club Birdland—it did not open until 15 December of that year. However, he did record there on 18 February 1950, and made numerous other appearances in its early years. The photographer Herman Leonard (1923-2010) was the son of Romanian Jewish immigrants who was best known for his work with jazz greats from the late 1940s through the 1960s. with —”Miles Davis, Montreux 1991,” 14 x 11 inches, signed and captioned by Leonard in 1991.