Popular Entertainment

Benny Goodman and his Sextet. side 1: Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland); side 2: Air Mail Special (Columbia 36720), from the album, Benny Goodman Sextet, (Columbia C-102).
78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1939 and released on Columbia 35254. Side was originally recorded in 1941 and released on Columbia 36099. This album was released in 1944.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

Golden Gate Quartet. side 1: Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho; side 2: Wade in the Water (Columbia 37833), from the album, Golden Gate Spirituals (Columbia C-145).
78 rpm.

The cover art for this album was made by Robert M. Jones (1913-1993) an American graphic designer and printmaker. Jones worked as art director for Columbia Records from 1945-1953, then for RCA Victor and affiliated labels.

Benny Goodman Sextet. side 1: Tiger Rag; side 2: Ain't Misbehavin' (Columbia 36922), from the album, Goodman Sextet Session (Columbia C-113).
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1945. This album was released in 1946.

The album art and design was created by George Howard Maas (1910-1998), an American commercial artist, graphic artist and designer, and art director. Originally from Kansas City, Maas studied at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. In 1939, he was employed as a painter in the WPA (Works Project Administration). By the early 1940s, Maas had moved to New York City where he continued his career with much success creating cover art for albums, book design and illustrations, and poster art.

Tootle was written by Gertrude Crampton with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1945, 25th reprint in 1971.

Born in Budapest, Hungary into a middle-class Jewish family, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried, Make Way for the Thruway, Five Little Firemen and Tootle. His portrayals of America's rapidly expanding transportation systems and the recognition of public servants foretold the dramatic social and cultural events that would impact American society in the 1950s.

Original artwork, of page 39, for the book, Two Little Miners, written by Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Richard Scarry, and published by Simon & Schuster in New York, New York, in 1949. Two Little Miners is part of the Little Golden Books Civic Series. These books introduced young children to the everyday working man, fundamental occupations and essential public service jobs such as policeman, fireman and postman.

Scarry's physical depiction of the two miners and some of the elements depicted in the home scenes are reminiscent of immigrants from southern Europe. According to the online resource, eWV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “individuals of Italian extraction constitute one of the most important ethnic groups in West Virginia’s population. Most of these Italian Americans date their connection with the state to ancestors who were recruited during the early years of the 20th century to serve the labor needs of West Virginia’s rapidly developing industrial economy. With more than 17,000 Italian immigrants in the state by 1910, they made up 30 percent of West Virginia’s foreign-born population.”

“The great majority of Italian immigrants were employed in the coal industry as pick-and-shovel miners. West Virginia mines were among the most mechanized in this country, but miners born in America or northern Europe generally operated the new machines and usually earned better money, while their counterparts from less favored regions did the handwork.”

Better known for his animal characters and the Busytown series, Richard Scarry (1919-1994) was one of the most prolific 20th-century authors and illustrators of children’s books. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston until he was drafted into the army during World War II. After the war, Scarry worked as a freelance artist and contracted with Simon & Schuster to work on the Little Golden Book series. His first illustrations appeared in Two Little Miners, a 1949 story written by Margaret Wise Brown. Scarry’s most popular Little Golden Book was Best Word Book Ever, published in 1963. He published more than 500 children’s books, most depicting animals who took on human characteristics.

Original artwork, of pages 18 and 19, for the book, Two Little Miners, written by Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Richard Scarry, and published by Simon & Schuster in New York, New York, in 1949. Two Little Miners is part of the Little Golden Books Civic Series. These books introduced young children to the everyday working man, fundamental occupations and essential public service jobs such as policeman, fireman and postman.

Scarry's physical depiction of the two miners and some of the elements depicted in the home scenes are reminiscent of immigrants from southern Europe. According to the online resource, eWV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “individuals of Italian extraction constitute one of the most important ethnic groups in West Virginia’s population. Most of these Italian Americans date their connection with the state to ancestors who were recruited during the early years of the 20th century to serve the labor needs of West Virginia’s rapidly developing industrial economy. With more than 17,000 Italian immigrants in the state by 1910, they made up 30 percent of West Virginia’s foreign-born population.”

“The great majority of Italian immigrants were employed in the coal industry as pick-and-shovel miners. West Virginia mines were among the most mechanized in this country, but miners born in America or northern Europe generally operated the new machines and usually earned better money, while their counterparts from less favored regions did the handwork.”

Better known for his animal characters and the Busytown series, Richard Scarry (1919-1994) was one of the most prolific 20th-century authors and illustrators of children’s books. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston until he was drafted into the army during World War II. After the war, Scarry worked as a freelance artist and contracted with Simon & Schuster to work on the Little Golden Book series. His first illustrations appeared in Two Little Miners, a 1949 story written by Margaret Wise Brown. Scarry’s most popular Little Golden Book was Best Word Book Ever, published in 1963. He published more than 500 children’s books, most depicting animals who took on human characteristics.

This award was presented to Duke Ellington from Esquire magazine in 1947. It features a stylized gold-tone statue of a man playing a trumpet, Esquire magazine’s pop-eyed mascot “Esky,” on a brown-stained wooden base with an embossed and engraved metal plate. The metal plate is marked:

Esquire's
ALL AMERICAN BAND
GOLD AWARD
BAND
AWARDED TO
DUKE ELLINGTON
1947

Esquire is an American men’s magazine founded in 1933. The magazine featured its first jazz awards, All-American Jazz All Stars and All-American Jazz Band, chosen by Esquire’s board of leading jazz artists, critics, and writers, in 1944. The inaugural winners included Billie Holiday, Roy Eldridge, Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Coleman Hawkins, Art Tatum, Al Casey, Oscar Pettiford, and Sidney Catlett.

The “Esky” mascot was created by African American cartoonist E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971).

side1: Pvt. Robert Shanley and Soldier Chorus. American Eagles; side 2: Cpl. James "Stump" Cross. What the Well Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear (Decca 18476), from the album, Irving Berlin's All Soldier Show: This Is the Army (Decca A-340).
78 rpm

This album is from the Broadway musical This Is the Army, with book by James McColl, and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical was produced by the U. S. Army in 1942, and featured a cast of U. S. soldiers, for the benefit of the Army Relief Fund. The revue ran at the Broadway Theatre from July 4, 1942, to September 26, 1942, for 113 performances.

side 1: The Baby Dodds Trio. Wolverine Blues; side 2: Baby Dodds. Drum Improvisation (No. 1) (Circle J-1001), from the album, A Session With Baby Dodds (Circle S-17).
78 rpm.

Album design was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

Kid Ory and his Creole Jazz Band. side 1: Eh, La Bas; side 2: Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho (Columbia 37275), from the album, New Orleans Jazz (Columbia C-126).
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1946. The album was released in 1947.

Jim (James) Flora (1914-1998) created the cover art for this album. Flora was a successful commercial illustrator during the 1940s-1970s as well as an author and illustrator for children’s books. He was best known for his unique and quirky album cover art for RCA Victor and Columbia during the 1940s and 1950s. Flora created numerous paintings, drawings, etchings and sketches throughout his prolific career.

Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band. side 1: Snag It; side 2: Savoy Blues (Circle J-12001), from the album, This Is Jazz, Vol. 2 (Circle S-11).
78 rpm.

Album design and typography by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

Louis Armstrong and the All Stars. Louis Armstring and the All Stars [sides 2 & 3] (Decca DL 8038), from the 2-disc album, Satchmo At Symphony Hall (Decca DX-108).
33-1/3 rpm

These recordings were made at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massacgusetts on November 30, 1947.

Original artwork, of page 6, for the book, Two Little Miners, written by Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Richard Scarry, and published by Simon & Schuster in New York, New York, in 1949. Two Little Miners is part of the Little Golden Books Civic Series. These books introduced young children to the everyday working man, fundamental occupations and essential public service jobs such as policeman, fireman and postman.

Scarry's physical depiction of the two miners and some of the elements depicted in the home scenes are reminiscent of immigrants from southern Europe. According to the online resource, eWV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, “individuals of Italian extraction constitute one of the most important ethnic groups in West Virginia’s population. Most of these Italian Americans date their connection with the state to ancestors who were recruited during the early years of the 20th century to serve the labor needs of West Virginia’s rapidly developing industrial economy. With more than 17,000 Italian immigrants in the state by 1910, they made up 30 percent of West Virginia’s foreign-born population.”

“The great majority of Italian immigrants were employed in the coal industry as pick-and-shovel miners. West Virginia mines were among the most mechanized in this country, but miners born in America or northern Europe generally operated the new machines and usually earned better money, while their counterparts from less favored regions did the handwork.”

Better known for his animal characters and the Busytown series, Richard Scarry (1919-1994) was one of the most prolific 20th-century authors and illustrators of children’s books. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston until he was drafted into the army during World War II. After the war, Scarry worked as a freelance artist and contracted with Simon & Schuster to work on the Little Golden Book series. His first illustrations appeared in Two Little Miners, a 1949 story written by Margaret Wise Brown. Scarry’s most popular Little Golden Book was Best Word Book Ever, published in 1963. He published more than 500 children’s books, most depicting animals who took on human characteristics.