Music

The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Audiovisual Collection consists of 106 audiocassettes, 72 videotapes, 2 CD-Rs, and 2 seven inch reel audiotapes. The audiovisual collection consists of materials acquired by the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the Northern California Center for Afro-American History & Life. The collection is organized into 16 series by format or subject, and includes recordings of significant African Americans such J. Rupert Picott and Byron Rumford, oral histories with significant African American families and civil rights leaders, and documents various topics related to African American history, culture and experience. View online items at the Internet Archive Dates: circa 1950s-circa 2000s   Collection number: MS207   Creator: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 7.25 linear feet (5 boxes + 3 audiocassette boxes)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Audiovisual Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1869-2008   Collection number: MS 189   Creator: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 21.25 linear feet (30 boxes + 2 oversized boxes + 2 oversized drawers)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 1,953 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations. View online items We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The William Duncan Allen papers include photographs, certificates, plaques, and a diploma documenting the life and career of concert pianist, teacher, and music critic William Duncan Allen. The bulk of the papers consist of 288 photographs of Allen's music colleagues and friends at receptions in the Bay Area and while traveling in Europe in 1975-1977. Dates: 1975-1994   Bulk Dates: 1975-1977   Collection number: MS 70   Creator: Allen, William Duncan.   Collection Size: 1.5 linear feet (1 oversized box)   Guide to the William Duncan Allen Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Julian Elihu Bagley was born in South Jacksonville, Florida in 1892. He earned a degree in agriculture from the Hampton Institute and served in the Army during World War I. He moved to San Francisco in 1922 to open a waterfront hotel, and he became well-known as the concierge of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. He served as the opera house’s official greeter for 39 years beginning on its opening night on October 15, 1932. Bagley was also the author of a book of animal folktales, Candle-lighting time in Bodidalee, a collection of African folktales set in his native Florida. The collection includes five photographs, nine pieces of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and programs from the author’s memorial service. Dates: 1925-1981   Bulk Dates: 1951-1981   Collector: Gerrits, Elwood Burton   Creator: Bagley, Julian, 1892-1981   Collection Size: .1 linear foot (1 box)   Guide to the Julian Bagley Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Bay area blues musician and artist Charles E. Banks (1938-2000) was born Charles Edward Banks in Taylorville, Illinois, December 4, 1938. The Charles E. Banks Papers include assorted biographical material, concert flyers, posters, programs, song lists, club advertisements, entertainment calendars, reproductions of artwork, photographs, handwritten poems, and three audiocassettes featuring Blues on Tap's live and studio recordings. Dates: 1956-2000   Collection number: MS 213   Creator: Banks, Charles E.   Collection Size: .75 linear feet (1 box + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Charles E. Banks Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Arnold Vernon Baranco papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, yearbooks, WPA musical programs and photographs related to the life and musical activities of Arnold Vernon Baranco. The collection is organized into three series: biographical, teaching activities, musical activities, and photographs. The biographical series includes certificates, clippings, awards, membership cards, and his high school yearbook. The teaching activities series includes a small number of letter, and the musical programs document WPA performances given by Baranco. The photographs in the collection are related to Baranco's family, friends, and musical activities. Dates: 1925-1987   Creator: Baranco, Arnold Vernon, 1915-1987   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Arnold Vernon Baranco Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Bayviewer (1967-?) magazine collection consists of 20 issues of the Bayviewer and Lennie's Bayviewer magazine, a political and social magazine focused on the African American community in the San Francisco Bay Area. The magazine regularly featured advertisements by black-owned business and articles on local fashion trends, entertainment venues, politics, social organizations. Dates: 1968-1979   Collection number: MS 201   Creator: Anderson, Lennie.   Collection Size: 1 linear foot (1 box)   Guide to the Bayviewer Magazine Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Maxine and Roy C. Blackburn Papers include clippings, correspondence, certificates, photographs, and programs relating to the lives and careers of Maxine Blackburn and her brother, Roy C. Blackburn. Maxine's accomplishments as a pianist, organist, and choral director are documented in clippings and programs about various local concerts she participated in or organized. Roy's civic activities as a member of the Republican party and as a member of the Oakland Police Department are documented in newspaper clippings and pamphlets. The papers include correspondence received from Roland Hayes while he worked as his Pacific Coast Manager. Newspaper clippings also document Roy's role as Director of Negro Publicity for the 1939 World's Fair and as a clerk for the State Relief Administration in the late 1930s. A majority of the photographs are family and friends of the Blackburn family. Dates: 1915-1979   Collection number: MS 13   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Maxine and Roy C. Blackburn Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The City and Port of Oakland Chorus, also called the Oakland Municipal Civil Service Chorus and the Oakland Municipal Employees Chorus, was founded by city employee Elsie Giani in 1940 and presented its first program in 1941. The first chorus director was John M. Falls, followed by Eugene Fillmore Jones and Julian Levant. The chorus presents holiday programs every December and occasionally performs at other functions. The collection contains programs, newspaper articles and other ephemera relating to chorus activities and members. (OHC COLL 2015-13) 1 box (.23 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.    

The Justitia Davis papers include scrapbooks, photographs, music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts, and certificates that document the life and career of actor and music teacher Justitia Davis. The papers are arranged into three series: Performing arts, Education, and Photographs. The bulk of the papers consist of 467 photographs most of which are personal photographs of Davis’ family and friends in the 1920s-1940s. Dates: 1901-2000   Collection number: MS 82   Creator: Davis, Justitia.   Collection Size: 2 linear feet (5 boxes + 2 oversized boxes)   Guide to the Justitia Davis Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The First A.M.E. Church of Oakland began in 1858 by a small group of Oakland residents, and is the oldest African American church in Oakland. The church founders purchased the Carpenter School House in 1863, which became the first church building. At this time the church was called Shiloh A.M.E. Church, and it also acted as a school for minorities; the teacher was one of the A.M.E. church founders, Elizabeth Flood. In 1884, Reverend James Grisby led the congregation to a larger church building on 15th Street in Oakland, known as the Fifteenth Street Church. In 1949, Reverend H. Solomon Hill became pastor, and in 1954, led the congregation to a new church building at 3701 Telegraph Avenue, where it was renamed the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Since then, the church has been renovated and improved numerous times, notably surviving the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Senior pastors of the First A.M.E. Church of Oakland:

• Reverend John Lane 1863-1874
• Reverend J.B. Sanderson 1874-1884
• Reverend James Grisby 1884-1896
• Reverend J. Alen Viney 1896-1900
• Reverend Oscar E. Jones 1900-1910
• Reverend F. Jesse Peck 1910-1915
• Reverend J.M. Brown 1915-1922
• Reverend Nelson Pryor 1922-1927
• Reverend T. Dean Scott 1927-1932
• Reverend Daniel G. Hill 1932-1943
• Reverend Pearl Bryant 1943-1945
• Reverend Justus E. Roberts 1945-1949
• Reverend Dr. H. Solomon Hill 1949-1960
• Reverend J. Russell Brown 1960-1971
• Reverend Edward S. Foust 1971-1977
• Reverend George R. Reid 1977-1981
• Reverend L. Fisher Hines 1981-1986
• Reverend Dr. Frederick Ormonde Murph 1986-1996
• Reverend Dr. Harold R. Mayberry 1996-2020
• Reverend Dr. Rodney D. Smith, 2020-

The First African Methodist Episcopal Church (Oakland, Calif.) Collection includes administrative records, correspondence, church service bulletins, events programs, photographs, and collected newspaper clippings. Dates: 1922-2015   Bulk Dates: bulk 1950s-1970s   Collection number: MS 173   Creator: First African Methodist Episcopal Church (Oakland, Calif.)   Creator: East Bay Negro Historical Society   Collection Size: 2 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church (Oakland, Calif.) Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-0200 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Friends of Negro Spirituals is a educational and cultural organization based in Oakland, California dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Negro spirituals. Founded in 1998 by Sam Edwards and Lyvonne Chrisman, the Friends of Negro Spirituals offers lectures and radio programs on Negro spirituals, research assistance to scholars studying Negro spirituals, and publishes a news journal, The Negro Spiritual. The Friends of Negro Spirituals Oral History collection consists of DVDs and transcriptions of ten oral history interviews conducted in 2007 with supporters of Negro spirituals who work to preserve spirituals in the African American community. The collection includes interviews with William Bell, Lyvonne Chrisman, Marcella Huggins Conley, Doug Edwards, Sam Edwards, Jacqueline B. Hairston, Autris Thomas Paige, Linda Tillery, and Cleophas and Sadie Carter Williams. Dates: 2007   Collection number: MS 196   Creator: Friends of Negro Spirituals (Organization)   Collection Size: 1.0 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Friends of Negro Spirituals Oral History Collection   Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Jesse Fuller (1896-1976) was born on Jonesboro, Georgia in March 12, 1896. In 1954 Fuller recorded his most notable song, "San Francisco Bay Blues", and by 1960 Fuller booked a European tour, and devoted himself full time to music. The Jesse Fuller collection consists of newspaper clippings, photographs, and audio recordings. View online items Dates: 1971-1976   Collection number: MS193   Creator: Fuller, Jesse   Creator: Dobrin, Michael   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Jesse Fuller Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Scrapbook contains letters and clippings documenting the Oakland Unified School District's various choirs and their performances, including radio performances, and four photographs of several choir members. Music Section papers consist of meeting minutes, constitution, lists of members and officers, treasurer's reports, and letters of the Oakland Teachers Association Music Section. (OHC MSS WOODS) 5 folders, (.2 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Jim Goggin was the founder of the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation. During his career Goggin helped produce many West Coast jazz recordings and liner notes, and authored numerous jazz articles and ten published books about West Coast jazz music and its performers. The Jim Goggin Oral History Collection consists of 8 oral histories with jazz drummer and band leader Earl Watkins, an oral history with musician and session pianist Rodney Burge, and material as published in the book Earl Watkins: The Life of a Jazz Drummer by Jim Goggin. Dates: circa 2000s   Collection number: MS 185   Creator: Goggin, Jim.   Collection Size: .5 linear feet ((1 box)   Guide to the Jim Goggin Oral History Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Baritone singer Marcus Hall (1904-1977) was born on September 8, 1904 in California to William M. and Susie Hall. Papers include concert programs, correspondence, a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the life and career of baritone singer Marcus Hall. The papers are organized into five series: concert programs, correspondence, photographs, biographical, and printed materials. Dates: 1927-1977   Collection number: MS 22   Creator: Hall, Marcus, 1904-1977   Collection Size: .5 linear feet (1 box + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Marcus Hall Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Hickerson Family Papers includes photographs, newspaper clippings, cards, programs, certificates, and musical scores related to the Hickerson and Swayzee families and their friends. The papers also document the Hickerson Family's involvement with the Oakland, CA First African Methodist Episcopal (First A.M.E.) Church and other Christian and civic organizations. The papers are arranged in five series: Dorothy Harris Hickerson, Joseph W. Hickerson, Religious Activities, Assorted Print Material and Publications. The photographs are arranged in four subseries: Dorothy Hickerson Harris, Family Portraits, First African Methodist Episcopal (1st AME) Church, and Assorted. Dates: circa 1920-2005 Collection number: MS 167   Creator: Harris, Dorothy Hickerson.   Creator: Hickerson, Joseph William.   Collection Size: 2.5 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Hickerson Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Mark Hummel Papers consist of photographs, blues show flyers, blues music publications, audio recordings, and newspaper clippings documenting the career of blues musician Mark Hummel and the San Francisco Bay Area blues scene in the 1970s-1990s. Dates: 1978-2012   Collection number: MS 223   Creator: Hummel, Mark   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Mark Hummel Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Harold Slim Jenkins (1890-1967) was born on July 22, 1890 in Monroe, Louisiana. He moved to Oakland, California shortly after World War I, worked as a waiter, and would eventually open his famed Slim Jenkins Cafe at 1748 Seventh St. in West Oakland on December 5, 1933 the day prohibition was repealed. Jenkins owned and operated a number of West Oakland restaurants, liquor stores, and night clubs which earned him the affectionate title of the mayor of West Oakland. The Harold Jenkins Photograph Collection includes 81 photographs documenting Harold  Slim  Jenkins' various businesses in downtown Oakland, California. A majority of the photographs are publicity stills of bands and performers, interior shots of patrons and employees, or exterior photographs of Jenkins' businesses used for advertisements. View online items Dates: 1930-1953   Bulk Dates: 1948-1953   Collection number: MS 11   Collector: Jenkins, Harold, 1890-1967   Creator: Joseph, E. J.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Harold Jenkins Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Phillip Eugene Jenkins (1917-1993) was born on August 9, 1917 in Sacramento, California to Aaron Arthur Jenkins and Grace Evelyn Grubbs Jenkins. Jenkins interest in music began at an early age and music was encouraged by his parents. Beginning in 1968, Jenkins became active in jazz preservation with the establishment of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society. He was active in the society’s activities and in the creation of the Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee, an international jazz festival held in Sacramento, California beginning in 1974. He was an active volunteer for the Jubilee over the next twenty years, and was eventually inducted into the Jubilee Hall of Fame in 1987 and served as the Jubilee’s Emperor of Jazz in 1991. His knowledge of jazz and personal collection of jazz recording led him to a radio career beginning in 1974, when he began a weekly jazz radio program, “Sacramento Classic Jazz” on the California State University radio station KXPR and subsequently on the university’s new jazz station KXJZ. The Phillip E. Jenkins papers include photographs, educational materials, military records, and organizational records of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society. The collection is arranged into six series: musical activities, State of California, Department of Employment, military service, education, photographs, and assorted printed material. Dates: 1930-1953   Bulk Dates: 1948-1953   Collection number: MS 11   Collector: Jenkins, Harold, 1890-1967   Creator: Joseph, E. J.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Phillip E. Jenkins Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Blues musician and night club owner Troyce Key (1937-1992) was born on September 7, 1937 in Jordon Plantation, Louisiana to Verdell and Lula May Key. The Troyce Key papers include correspondence, photographs, financial records, flyers, publicity material, and publications documenting the musical career of blues musician and nightclub owner Troyce Key. The papers are organized in to four series: Eli Mile High Records, Eli’s Mile High Club & Restaurant records, photographs, and assorted material. Dates: circa 1920s-1997 (b. 1958-1992)   Collection number: MS 83   Creator: Key, Troyce.   Collection Size: 5 linear feet (11 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Troyce Key Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Bay area blues musician, record company executive, and night club owner John Jacob (J.J.) Malone (1935 – 2004) was born on August 20, 1935 in Peets Corner, Alabama. The J.J. Malone audiovisual collection consists of recordings documenting his life and musical career. The recordings are arranged in to six series: Live recordings, studio recordings, promos, KALX interview, home movies, and assorted. Dates: 1972-2001   Collection number: MS 210   Creator: Malone, J.J.   Collection Size: 1 linear foot (2 boxes)   Guide to the J.J. Malone Audiovisual Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Brownie McGhee Papers consist of audio cassettes, photographs, programs, and VHS videotape documenting the life and musical career of blues musician Walter B. "Brownie" McGhee (1915-1996). The collection is arranged into three series: I. Brownie McGhee, II. Blues is Truth Foundation, III. Interviews with Styve Homnick. A majority of the Brownie McGhee series consists of 83 audiocassettes of interviews with Brownie McGhee conducted by Leslie Ann Wright and her partner Mike Twomey in preparation of his autobiography. The interviews document McGhee's musical career including his experiences living with blues musician Leadbelly and performing in New York City in the 1940s, traveling internationally as a blues musician, the West Coast Blues scene in California, and his long career in film and television. The collection offers a detailed first person perspective of a blues-folk musician whose career spanned most of the 20th century. View online items Dates: 1990-1996   Collection number: MS 180   Creator: McGhee, Brownie, 1915-1996.   Collector: Twomey, Michael   Collection Size: 3 linear feet (4 boxes)   Guide to the Brownie McGhee Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Memry Midgett papers consists of photographs, correspondence, musical programs, and artifacts documenting the musical career and family history of jazz pianist and social worker Memry Florence Midgett (1920-2013). View online items Dates: circa 1860s-2013   Bulk Dates: circa 1860s-1945   Collection number: MS 163   Collector: Midgett, Memry, 1920-2013   Collection Size: 2.75 linear feet (10 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Memry Midgett Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Oakland Oratorio Society was organized in the mid 1980s and disbanded in early 1990. This collection includes bylaws, membership rosters, meeting minutes, and other organizational paperwork.  (OHC COLL 2019-2) 2 pressboard binders in box (.21 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1922-2005   Bulk Dates: 1963-1996   Collection number: MS 169   Creator: Oakland post.   Collection Size: 56 linear feet (116 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Oakland Post Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The Oakland Post Photograph Collection consists of 11,000 photographs appearing in the Oakland Post newspaper between 1963-2005. A majority of the photographs are portraits of African American politicians, business and community leaders, entertainers, athletes, and community and social groups from Oakland, California. The collection documents significant social and political events in Oakland, California, including social protest movements during the 1960s-1980s, festivals and sporting events, visits to Oakland, California by notable figures such as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton, and activities of Oakland politicians. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Primarily a collection of concert programs and season announcements from the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1933 under the direction of conductor Orley See. The orchestra disbanded in 1986 after financial difficulties forced it into bankruptcy. In 1988 it was succeeded by a new orchestra, the Oakland East Bay Symphony, renamed the Oakland Symphony in 2015.   (OHC COLL 2016-3)   27 folders in 4 boxes (1.6 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Primarily letters, to and from Paul Martin, many regarding the San Francisco Symphony's performance of his orchestral composition, "Elegy to an Unknown Hero, Opus 14" in November 1929. Also includes several of Mr. Martin's writings on music, the beginnings of a Symphony in C minor, an application of copyright for his "Elegy to an Unknown Hero," and the Chinese national anthem transcribed for piano. Composer and educator Paul Martin served as principal for several Oakland, California, schools from 1902 until his retirement in 1938. (OHC MSS MARTIN) 2 folders (0.05 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Legendary Bay Area emcee Jay Payton (1925-2016) was born William J Payton on Oct. 29, 1925 in Asheville, North Carolina. Beginning in 1972 Payton hosted the KEMO-TV music show “Soul Is” (later “The Jay Payton Show”), a weekly entertainment show on Channel 20 featuring national and Bay Area African American musicians and performers. The Jay Payton Papers consist of photographs and 2 quad videotapes of “The Jay Payton Show” recorded in 1976. View online items Dates: 1955-2003   Collection number: MS 205   Creator: Payton, Jay.   Collection Size: 1.75 (2 boxes + 1 oversize box)   Guide to the Jay Payton Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Photojournalist Reginald A. Pearman worked as a staff photographer for the Oakland Tribune, Washington Post, and the Associated Press and over his career was a regular contributor to Time Magazine, National Geographic, and the New York Times. The Reginald Pearman photograph collection includes 614 photographic prints and negatives taken by Pearman when he worked as a photojournalist in the 1980s for the Oakland Tribune newspaper. Dates: 1983-1990   Collection number: MS 48   Creator: Pearman, Reginald.   Creator: Oakland tribune (Oakland, Calif.).   Collection Size: 3.5 linear feet (8 boxes)   Guide to the Reginald Pearman Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Emmit A. Powell (1933-2018), gospel radio and television broadcaster, was born December 18, 1933, in Tallahassee, Florida, the son of Emmit Powell Sr. and Ruby Mae Powell. After completing service duties he moved to San Francisco, California, and worked as General Manager of Traffic and Transportation Management for the Emporium-Capwell Company. Beginning in 1972, Powell operated a restaurant known as Powell's Place on Hayes Street in San Francisco. His radio career began at KPOO-FM in San Francisco in 1973. By 1975, Powell had became the gospel music programmer on KPFA FM which aired his long-running “The Gospel Experience” for over 45 years. In 1976, Powell founded Emmit Powell & the Gospel Elites, performing original gospel music. Powell was also the host of a Sunday morning show, “Emmit Powell’s Gospel Experience,” on community access television. The Emmit Powell papers include photographs, flyers, programs, and audiovisual material documenting Emmit Powell's career and the Gospel Elites. Included are recordings of radio broadcasts of "The Gospel Experience" on KPFA FM. Dates: ca. 1970s-2000s Collection number: MS 228 Creator: Powell, Emmit, 1933-2018 Collection Size: 8 linear feet (8 boxes) Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dates: 1921-1991   Collection number: MS 28   Creator: Proctor, Eudora C., 1917-1993.   Collection Size: 3.75 linear feet (7 boxes)   Guide to the Eudora C. Proctor Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) Performer and dance instructor Eudora “Dodo” Proctor (1917-1993) was born on September 29, 1917 to Clyde Proctor and Ellen Proctor. The Eudora Proctor Papers includes photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, musical programs, songbooks, and legal and financial records related to Proctor’s career as an entertainer, member of the USO, cosmetologist, and creator of the Eudora National S.L. E. Organization, a non-profit lupus organization. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Roberts Family Papers document the activities of a family who achieved many milestones for African-Americans in California. Frederick Madison Roberts (1880-1952) was the first African American to graduate from Los Angeles High School and the first African American state assemblyman. In addition, he worked for the first African-American mortuary to be established in Los Angeles. His wife, Pearl Hinds Roberts (1892-1984), attended both the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. She became the first African-American woman pipe organist in Northern California and founded a very successful choral group which was acclaimed for its performance of spirituals. Frederick and Pearl's daughter, Gloria Pearl Roberts (1924-2011), also pursued a career in music and performed in both the United States and Europe as a concert pianist. View online items Dates: circa 1850s-1984   Collection number: MS 2   Creator: Roberts, Patricia F.   Creator: Roberts, Gloria P.   Collection Size: 3 linear feet (7 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Roberts Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Rousseau family was a family musical ensemble consisting of husband and wife, Walter H. and Margaret Rousseau, and their seven children: Anna E. Rousseau, James L. Rousseau, Charles P. Rousseau, Milton T. Rousseau, Margaret Rousseau, and Green M. Rousseau. Beginning the 1910s, the family began performing at church and vaudeville theater venues throughout California, including a four month long performance at the Panama-California International Exposition in San Diego, California in 1915-1916. The Rousseau family papers include photographs, correspondence, and contracts that document the musical performances and business activities of the Rousseau family. Dates: 1904-1958   Collection number: MS 44   Creator: Rousseau family.   Collection Size: .1 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Rousseau Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Combination magazine collection includes 18 issues of The Combination magazine published between 1964-1970. The magazine includes photographs, short articles, and local advertisements on African American social organizations, entertainment, sports and fashion events in Northern California. View online items Dates: 1964-1978   Collection number: MS 200   Creator: McCarty, Brackeen.   Collection Size: 1 linear foot (1 box)   Guide to The Combination Magazine Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

The Michael Twomey Music Collection consists of 221 cassette tapes of live music recordings of various jazz and blues musicians in clubs and concert venues around the San Francisco Bay Area between 1971-1996. The collection includes recordings of many significant jazz and blues figures such as Count Basie, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, John Scofield, Duke Ellington, and John Lee Hooker. A majority of the recordings were made at J.J.’s Blues, Yoshi’s, Kimble’s, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Great American Music Hall, Freight and Salvage, and Slim’s. The recordings are organized by artists’ last name, and includes concert venue, location, cassette numbers [#], and concert date. Dates: 1945-1996   Bulk Dates: 1971-1996   Collection number: MS 161   Creator: Twomey, Michael.   Collection Size: 2.25 linear feet (221 cassette tapes)   Guide to the Michael Twomey Music Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.