Ellington was earning income from playing music by age seventeen years and around this time he earned the sobriquet "Duke" for his sartorial splendor and regal air.

Do other Archives have Ellington material?

Yes, the following respositories contain material relating to Duke Ellington.

Danish Radio--recordings
The New York Public Library's (NYPL) branch at the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts--ephemera.
NYPL's Schomburg Center -- oral history interviews and photographs of Duke and his band members.
The Yale University Library -- oral history interviews.
The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University/Newark -- ephemera, mostly news clippings.
Library of Congress--recordings, films and copyright sheets.

How many countries did Duke Ellington perform in?

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra performed on four continents. The only one he didn't visit was Antarctica. According to his autobiography Music Is My Mistress the Orchestra performed in 79 countries.

Are there photographs relating to Duke's foreign tours?

The photos have been organized by subject within Series 7. Series 7 contains photographs of Duke with heads of state and foreign dignitaries including the Queen of England.

When did Duke Ellington first go overseas?

In 1933, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra made their first overseas trip to England.

Was Ellington a "Ladies Man?"

Women played a key role in Ellington's personal and professional life. He clearly enjoyed the company of women, and as compositions such as "Warm Valley" and "Prelude To A Kiss" indicate, he was also deeply inspired by notions of sensuality and romance.

Who owns the rights to the materials in the Ellington Collection?

Most of the rights to the Ellington Collection music materials are owned by Lene Ellington, widow of Mercer Ellington, Duke's daughter-in law. You should contact one of the following corporate entities to clear rights for your prospective project:

Depending on the specific title, performance rights may be obtained from Music Sales Corporation (c/o Zoraya Mendez; 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010; 212-254-2100; fax 212-254-2013; E-mail 71360.3514@ compuserv.com), Famous Music Publishing (15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023; 212-373-7433), or EMI Music Publishing (c/o Warner Brothers Publications; 15800 NW 48th Avenue; Miami, FL 33014). Name and Likeness rights may be obtained from CMG Worldwide. Contact Helen Chang; 10500 Cross Point Boulevard; Indianapolis, IN 46256; 317 570-5505; fax 317 570-5510 or 5500.

I have material to donate to the Ellington Collection, how should I proceed?

Please contact us by phone or mail with a brief description of the materials you wish to donate, the estimated quantity (how many inches, feet, boxes of material?) and the time span (1942-43?). We will need to know the nature of the majority of the materials (promotional materials, performance tours, philanthropic projects, fan mail, personal correspondence, business, advertising). After we have received your description of materials, we may need to pay a visit to determine what we can accept. Or we may be able to determine what we can accept from your description. We will contact you with a yes or no answer to your prospective donation, and let you know our next steps. For additional information about donating your archival materials, you may wish to contact the Society of American Archivists at 527 Wells Street., 5th Floor; Chicago IL 60607; 312 922-0140; fax 312 347-1452 e-mail info@archivists.org; web address www.archivists.org. The Society publishes a helpful brochure: A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository. The brochure also is available from the Archives Center.