Subject: African American musicians - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Extent:: 2.6 linear feet (; 6 boxes, 1 volume)
Abstract:: Asher Shtevel/Stiebel and his wife, Miriam, lived in Poketilov, Russia (now part of the Ukraine) in the nineteenth century. Three of their sons came to Philadelphia in 1887: Abraham, Jacob, and Michael (1871-1954), who were followed by other brothers, including Hyman (1860-1927). Sometime after 1887, the American branch of the family started using the name Stiefel. In 1903, members of the Stiefel family set up a movie theater in Philadelphia, the Fairyland on Market Street. In the following years, they opened other theaters in Philadelphia, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and in Baltimore, New York, Washington DC, and California. The Stiefels were also in the film distribution business and produced live shows and at least one film. Theaters run by the Stiefels, notably the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia and the Howard Theatre in Washington, were part of the so-called "Chitlin Circuit" and gave starts to many black entertainers whose music later appealed to a wider audience. The...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Extent:: 45.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in 1976 in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. The museum is committed to telling the story of African Americans in all its permutations: family life, the Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law, and technology. The African American Museum in Philadelphia small collections, circa 1850-2014, consist of various small accumulations (less than one linear foot) of archival materials acquired from a variety of sources at various times. The collection focuses on, but is not limited to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, touching on all aspects of African American life and culture. It features a great variety of document types, such as correspondence, minute books, ephemera, photographs, clippings, scrapbooks, film reels, and much more.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Extent:: 6.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Herbert "Herb" Melvin Spence was a musician and music teacher who retired from the School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1986. The Herbert Spence papers, 1966-1989, is made up largely of printed sheet music, musical education texts, and slides of Spence's travels abroad. There is only a small amount of personal papers, such as Spence's notes on music history, diplomas and plaques he received, programs for student recitals and other performances, and photographs of children in his classes, of Spence himself, and of famous African American musicians.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Extent:: 8.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Natalie Hinderas (1927-1987), born Natalie Leota Henderson to Abram L. Henderson and Leota Palmer (1904-1997), became a celebrated pianist and music instructor in Philadelphia. She was one of the first African Americans to gain worldwide fame as a classical pianist, and was the first African-American female pianist to be featured by a symphony orchestra. The Natalie Hinderas and Leota Palmer papers, 1904-1993 (bulk 1940-1989), consist mostly of materials relating to Natalie Hinderas, particularly her music career and education, with a significant amount of materials relating to Natalie's mother, Leota Palmer. There are also some personal papers. Materials include: correspondence, programs, scrapbooks, family photograph albums, newspaper clippings, and family property records/deeds from Ohio.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

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