Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, 1933-1990, #502

Provenance Note

Dr. Theodore Shell donated his collection of Duke Ellington ephemera to the National Museum of American History on November 17, 1993. According to Dr. Shell, many of the materials found in this collection were originally found in the garage of a house purchased by a friend of his, ca. 1980-81. It was suggested to Dr. Shell by Melvin Smith, another friend, that the materials were originally compiled by the Ellington's bus driver. In addition eighty-three copy photographs, taken by Smithsonian Institution's Photographic Services, were made from two photographic montages created by Dr. Shell of his original photographs taken of performances of the Ellington Orchestra in the Baltimore and Washington area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These copy prints were added to the collection on May 15, 1996. Click here to go to the Container List

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