Object Details
Summary
Collection documents primarily through music manuscripts, photographic materials, audio recordings, moving images, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, correspondence, concert programs, and awards the professional career and personal life of Ella Fitzgerald. Often called the "First Lady of Song," Fitzgerald was one of the 20th century's most important musical performers.
Scope and Contents
Papers document the professional musical career and personal life of American singer, songwriter, and composer Ella Jane Fitzgerald. Materials include music manuscripts, sheet music, vocal scores, photographs, scripts, correspondence, newspaper clippings, song books, concert programs, magazine articles, business records, sound recordings, moving images, and awards. The bulk of the material relates to Fitzgerald's career as a singer and performer in the United States and internationally. These materials comprise of Fitzgerald's estate that were in her home at the time of her death in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California at the age of seventy-nine.
sova.nmah.ac.0584
Creator
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
Producer
Decca (recording company).
Performer
Jazz at the Philharmonic (Musical group)
Producer
Verve Records (Firm)
Musician
Betts, Keter, 1928-
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993
Names
Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986
Producer
Granz, Norman
Musician
Pass, Joe, 1929-1994
Peterson, Oscar, 1925-
Arranger
Riddle, Nelson
Topic
Jazz
African American women -- 1950-1960
African American music -- 20th century
Music -- African-American
Popular music -- African American influences
Passports
African Americans on television
Variety shows (Television programs) -- Production and direction
Festivals
Credit cards
African American women -- History
Jazz -- 20th century -- United States
African American women jazz singers
Concerts -- Programs
Provenance
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
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996
Culture
African American women
See more items in
Ella Fitzgerald Papers
Biographical / Historical
Born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25th, 1918, Ella Jane 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.
Extent
50 Cubic feet (109 boxes)
Date
circa 1900-2002, undated
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.0584
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Awards
Audiotapes
Clippings
Contracts
Greeting cards
Manuscripts
Phonograph records
Photographs
Posters
Programs
16mm motion picture film
Sound recordings
Videocassettes
Black-and-white photographs
Newspaper clippings
Itineraries
Ephemera
Printed ephemera
Citation
Ella Fitzgerald Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into ten series.
Series 1: Music Manuscripts and Sheet Music, 1919-1973, undated
Subseries 1.1: Music From Television Show Appearances, undated
Subseries 1.2: Song Books, undated
Series 2: Photographs, 1930-1990, undated
Subseries 2.1: Ella Fitzgerald Performing Alone, 1930-1990, undated
Subseries 2.2: Ella Fitzgerald Performing With Others, 1930-1980, undatedd
Subseries 2.3: Publicity, circa 1930-1990, undated
Subseries 2.4: Ella Fitzgerald with Family, Colleagues, and Friends, 1930s-1988, undated
Subseries 2.5: Candid Photographs, 1945-1990, undated
Subseries 2.6: Performing Venues, undated
Subseries 2.7: Photographs from Friends and Fans, 1939-1986, undated
Subseries 2.8: Photographs Negatives, Transparencies, and Slides, 1963-1964, undated
Series 2.9: Oversize, 1940-1983, undated
Series 3: Television Production Materials, 1957-1981, undated
Series 4: Correspondence, 1956-1996, undated
Series 5: Business Records, 1952-1990, undated
Series 6: Awards and Honorary Degrees, 1959-2002
Series 7: Concert Programs and Announcements, 1958-1992, undated
Series 8: Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1949-1997, undated
Subseries 8.1: Magazine Articles, 1949-1997
Subseries 8.2: Newspaper Clippings, circa 1950-1990, undated
Series 9: Album Jackets and Personal Papers, 1958-1988, undated
Subseries 9.1: Album Jackets without LPs, 1958-1980, undated
Subseries 9.2: Personal Papers, 1959-1988, undated
Series 10: Audiovisual, 1900-1999, undated
Subseries 10.1: Sound Discs: Test Pressings, Transcription Discs, and Performer Copies, 1939-1979
Subseries 10.2: Commercial Sound Recordings, 1956-1991, undated
Subseries 10.3: Demonstration Sound Discs: Other Artists and Songwriters, 1900-1960s,
undated
Subseries 10.4: Sound Tapes, 1938-1996, undated
Subseries 10.5: Videotapes, 1967-1999, undated
Subseries 10.6: Reference Tape Cassettes (for 1/4" open reel originals), undated
Subseries 10.7: Films, 1959-1973
Subseries 10.8: Master Reel-to-Reel Audiotapes, 1950-1963, undated
Processing Information
Collection processed by Reuben Jackson, archivist, 2001; Wendy Shay, audiovisual archivist, 2001-2004, 2008, 2015; Leigh Gialanella, digital archivist, 2025; and Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, 2025.
Rights
The Archives Center can provide reproductions of some materials for research and educational use. Copyright and right to publicity restrictions apply and limit reproduction for other purposes. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Awards
Audiotapes
Clippings -- 20th century
Contracts
Greeting cards
Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
Phonograph records
Photographs -- 20th century
Posters -- 20th century
Programs -- 1930-2000
16mm motion picture film
Sound recordings
Sound recordings -- 1930-1990
Videocassettes
Black-and-white photographs
Newspaper clippings
Itineraries
Ephemera -- 20th century
Printed ephemera
Programs -- Concerts -- 20th century
Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Only reference copies of audiovisual materials can be used.
Separated Materials
The National Museum of American History, Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds artifacts relating to Ella Fitzgerald to include but not limited to:
Dress, accession number 1996.342.001
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.002
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.003
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.004
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.005
Suit jacket, accession number 1996.0342.006
Suit skirt, accession number 1996.0342.007
Hat, accession number 1996.0342.008
Pant suit, accession number 1996.0342.009
Suit jacket, accession number 1996.0342.010
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.011
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.012
Dress, accession number 1996.0342.013
Academic robe, accession number 1996.0342.014
Scarf, accession number 1996.0342.015
Academic robe, accession number 1996.0342.016
Academic cowl, accession number 1996.0342.017
Society of Singers Sweatshirt 1986.0342.018
Scarf, accession number 1996.342.020
Scarf, accession number 1996.0342.021
Wig, accession number 1996.342.022
Wig, accession number 1996.342.023
Leopard coat, accession number 1996.0342.024
Sweatshirt, accession number 1996.0342.025
Earrings, accession number 1996.0342.028
Brooch, accession number 1996.0342.030
Pendant, accession number 1996.0342.031
Eyeglasses, accession number 1996.0342.032
Eyeglasses, accession number 1996.0342.033
Eyeglasses, accession number 1996.0342.034
Handbag, accession number 1996.0342.035
Grammy award, accession number 1996.0342.041
Dream Street Foundation award, accession number 1996.0342.044
Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement award, accession number 1996.0342.048
City Key, accession number 1996.0342.049.02
Key to the City of New York, accession number 1996.0342.49.14
Key to the City of Little Rock, accession number 1996.0342.049.15
Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year award, accession number 1996.0342.050
Sorority award, accession number 1996.0342.051
Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year Cup, accession number 1996.0342.052
Society of Singers award, accession number 1996.0342.059
Democratic National Committee award, 1982, accession number 1966.0342.060
IAJE award, accession number 1996.0342.061
WNEW radio station plaque 1996.0342.063
Grammy award, 1975, accession number 1996.0342.065
Grammy award, accession number 1996.0342.066
Grammy award, 1981, accession number 1996.0342.067
Grammy award, 1990, accession number 1996.0342.068
Billboard award, accession number 1996.0342.069
Vision award, accession number 1996.0342.072
Chicago Defender award, accession number 1996.0342.074
Cigarette case, 1961, accession number 1996.0342.077
Ebony Magazine Lifetime award, accession number 1996.0342.078
National Women's Hall of Fame, accession number 1996.0342.079
Encyclopedia Britannica Lifetime Achievement Award 1996.0342.081
Grammy medallion, 1976, accession number 1996.0342.082
St. Jude Hospital Plaque, accession number 1996.0343.083
Football autographed by National Football League (NFL) players, accession number 1996.0342.104
Baseball sign by Los Angeles Dodgers, 1996.0342.108
Name plate, accession number 1996.0342.110
Neon sign, accession number 1996.0342.118
Eyeglass cloth, accession number 1996.0342.119
NMAH.AC.0584
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b30d86b3-2935-49c8-b13c-faf206402d9c
NMAH.AC.0584
ACAH
Record ID
ebl-1503513643692-1503513643728-0