African-American Music Descriptions

Collection titles of primary source materials related to African American music held by the State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia at the University of Missouri.

Back to the Subject Guide

Basye Family Papers, 1812-1960 (C2505)
3.9 linear feet
Correspondence, legal documents, clippings, account books, scrapbooks, photographs, Bible records, and papers collected to establish the Basye family genealogy. Included are Bowling Green Methodist Episcopal Church and Cumberland Presbyterian Church registers, and early letters describing activities and family life in Missouri and other states, notably California and Wisconsin. Mining, the California gold rush, and the Civil War are also described. Numerous correspondents are women.

Blind Boone Heritage Foundation, Collection, (WUNP6088)
1.0 linear foot
Materials pertaining to African American musician John "Blind" Boone (Columbia, Missouri) and "Blind" Thomas Green Wiggins Bethune compiled by the Blind Boone Heritage Foundation of Columbia, Missouri. Includes biographical material for both musicians, broadsides and other publicity, contracts, correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, royalty statements, photographs, and sheet music.

Blind Boone Memorial Foundation, Inc., Papers, 1886-1976, (C3664)
0.4 linear feet
Included in this collection are some of the compositions of John William "Blind" Boone, a musician and composer of classical and ragtime music. Also included are orchestrations and choral arrangements of Boone's music, correspondence, programs, and p osters from a memorial concert in 1961. Correspondence concerning recovery of Boone's piano and posters and tickets from some Boone concerts are also part of the collection.

Boone, John William Blind and Wesley, Papers, (C2883)
1 folder(s)
Publicity poster announcing the appearance of Blind Boone in Columbia, MO. Program of piano concert of Little Blind Wesley, nephew of Blind Boone.

Boone, John William "Blind" (1864-1927), Piano Roll, (WUNP5843)
Performance by Blind Boone of "Nearer My God to Thee," published by the QRS Company, c. 1920.

Bootheel Project, Records, 1993-1997, (C3928)
RESTRICTED
3.2 linear feet
Records of the Bootheel Project, which documents the art, culture, and heritage of the Missouri Bootheel. The records include photographs, color slides, audio cassettes, transcripts, and video cassettes of interviews with Bootheel residents. Sound recordings, planning documents, field workers' notes and miscellaneous items collected throughout the project are also included.

Breckenridge, William Clark, Papers, 1752-1927, (C1036)
MICROFILM
4.75 linear feet
21 volume(s)
Correspondence and miscellaneous papers of W.C. Breckenridge, St. Louis businessman, writer and historian. Two copies of EARLY PRINTING IN MISSOURI, 1808-1849. Scrapbook contains newspaper clippings and illustrations, engravings, letters, and miscell aneous printed materials.

Campbell, Sanford Brunson, Papers, 1947, (C3204)
1 folder(s)
Letters to Floyd C. Shoemaker, Columbia, MO, from Venice, CA, about jazz musician Scott Joplin. Includes some printed brochures regarding ragtime, jazz, and Scott Joplin.

Conley-Miller Family, Papers, 1792-1967, (C3693)
5.2 linear feet
3 volume(s)
Correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, account books, ledgers, financial and personal records, genealogical materials, photographs, and miscellaneous items of the Conleys and Millers, prominent Boone County, MO, families.

Crighton, John C., Collection, (SUNP2812)
18 linear feet
INVENTORY. Papers of a Stephens College professor consisting primarily of research notes, with other research materials, for historical publications on Columbia and Boone County, MO, Stephens College, and health services in Missouri.

Fike, Henry C. (1832-1919), Diaries, 1851-1919, (C2215)
0.1 linear feet
43 volume(s)
Diaries written by Fike while a student in McKendree College, IL; while a soldier in the Civil War; and about his migration to and life in Warrensburg, MO, and his work in Kansas City, MO, and various cities in the West.

Kingsbury, Lilburn A. (1884-1983), Collection, 1816-1983, (C3724)
14.5 linear feet
The personal papers and collected materials of Lilburn A. Kingsbury of Howard County, MO. Kingsbury was an insurance agent, farmer, orchardist, bank clerk, local historian, writer, genealogist, musician, and antique collector.

Mumpower, Daniel L. (1882-1969) and Edith B. (1889-1977), Papers, 1913-1964, (C3900)
0.8 linear feet
Correspondence, photographs, and miscellaneous papers of Methodist missionaries to the Belgian Congo. The Mumpower family along with two other couples were the first white missionaries to the Otetela village of Wembo-Nyama in the central region of th e Belgian Congo, now Zaire.

Randolph, Vance (1892-1980), OZARK FOLKSONGS Collection, 1919-1957, (C3774)
RESTRICTED
3.1 linear feet
Original copy of the four volumes published by SHS, 1946-1950. Includes photographs used in the publication and a typescript of Chapter XIV, "Unprintable Songs," left out of the printed version. In addition there are two volumes entitled "Unprintable ' Songs From the Ozarks" which were sold to the Society in 1956, but without publication rights.

Schroeder, Adolf E. and Rebecca, Folk Song and Folklore Collection, 1957-1987, (C3826)
0.2 linear feet
Recordings and related material of Missouri and Ozark folk musicians and folklorists; primarily Max Hunter, Loman Cansler, and R.P. Christeson. The recordings include songs and discussions on many aspects of folksong collecting and folklore.

Tamony, Peter (1902-1985), Collection, 1890-1985, (C3939)
877.6 linear feet
Correspondence, articles, research files, personal papers, audio tapes, and word files of a noted etymologist and neologist of San Francisco. The collection primarily relates to the study of American colloquial language and neologisms but also includes rare jazz journals and materials on sports.

Townsell, Frank, "Blind Boone's Piano Music," 1998, (WUNP5761)
Audio recording of music composed by African-American John W. "Blind" Boone, performed by Frank Townsell.

University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri Cultural Heritage Center, Records, (WUNP5312)
0.2 linear feet
Letters received by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist, Elaine Viets, in 1984 in response to the pronunciation of Missouri. Also a list of court suggestions prepared by the Center and issue no. 9, Spring 1993 of TRADITION.

Upton, Lucile Morris (1898-1986), Papers, 1823-1986, (C3869)
MICROFILM
1 linear feet
Newspaper clippings, correspondence, notes, manuscripts, pamphlets, photographs, and scrapbooks consisting of the personal and professional papers of a Springfield, MO, journalist and writer. The papers are especially strong in the history of Springfield and the Ozarks and in Ozark folklore.

Van Ravenswaay, Charles (1911-1990), Papers, 1841-1990, (C3873)
RESTRICTED
21.4 linear feet
Correspondence, research notes, photographs, and literary manuscripts of historian and author Charles Van Ravenswaay, former director of the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis; Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA; and the Henry F. duPont Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Wilmington, DE.