George Brashear scrapbooks

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Description: Depictions of the personal life and school activities of musician and student athlete George L. Brashear from the 1910s to the 1920s, consisting of studio portraits and candid shots of Brashear; studio portraits of friends, acquaintances and Army soldiers; group portraits of sports teams, musical groups, marching bands and medical staff; and candid shots and views of friends, acquaintances, fellow musicians, travel, and sporting events. Also included are news clippings about sporting events and personalities; printed ephemera; and athletic competition ribbons. Depictions of Brashear's music career, particularly with band leader Fletcher Henderson, are limited.Of note are depictions of Brashear's participation in high school athletic teams at Whittier (Ca.) State School (ca. 1910-1914); portraits and views of Army recruits and military training exercises at Tuskegee Institute (ca. 1918); and candid shots and views of various trips, including San Francisco (1915), Lincoln Institute (Jefferson City, Mo.) (1919), Dallas, Texas (1920), and an ocean voyage to Europe (ca. 1920s).
Names: Brashear, George L. (Collector); Battey, C. M. (Cornelius Marion), 1873-1927 (Photographer); Emberson & Sons (Belgravia, London, England) (Photographer)
Dates / Origin: Other Date: 1930
Library locations: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division; Shelf locator: Sc Photo George Brashear Scrapbooks
Topics: Brashear, George L; African American athletes; African American musicians; African American students; African Americans -- Social life -- 1910-1929; Sports -- United States; African Americans -- Travel; African American soldiers; Football
Genres: Photographs; Ephemera; Photograph albums
Notes: Content: Title taken from cover of scrapbook containers.; Content: Some photographs bear photography studio's name on recto printed from negative; some items bear photographer's blind stamp.; Content: All items are mounted to loose scrapbook pages; some pages are arranged in a library binder with a slip cover. Many items bear accompanying handwritten captions on page; some items bear inscriptions. Many items have been cropped or trimmed.; Content: Collection contains work by C.M. Battey and Emberson & Sons.; Biographical/historical: George L. Brashear, born ca. 1894, was an African American high school and college athlete during the 1910s who later became a professional jazz trombonist during the 1920s. Brashear was a star high school athlete, as well as a member of the marching band and glee club, at Whittier (Ca.) State School (ca. 1910-1914). He was on the Black college championship football team at Tuskegee Institute (1917), and was also a member of the Tuskegee Institute Marching Band (1917-1918). Professionally, Brashear was a member of the Keystone Jazzers of St. Louis (ca. 1920), and later joined Fletcher Henderson's earliest organized band (ca. 1921-1923). His association with Henderson led to recording sessions with Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter and Trixie Smith. He was a freelance tour musician in Europe from 1927 to 1931, and returned to New York where he eventually became a message therapist. Brashear died in 1968.
Physical Description: Extent: 713 items (55 scrapbook sheets, two boxes); Extent: 676 photographic prints : gelatin silver, black and white, one hand colored ; 18 x 28 cm and smaller.; Extent: 10 photomechanical prints : halftone, black and white ; 12 x 21 cm and smaller.; Extent: 1 drawing : ink, black and white ; 28 x 21 cm; Extent: 3 printed ephemera : black and white ; 15 x 10 cm and smaller.; Extent: 19 clippings : halftone, black and white ; 18 x 28 cm and smaller.; Extent: 4 ribbons.
Type of Resource: Still image
Identifiers: RLIN/OCLC: 1285528221; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b22640182; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 52815ee0-65f9-013c-cfc7-0242ac110003