But Then, She's Betty Carter: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A documentary film with the title But Then, She's Betty Carter. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.

This made-for-television documentary intercuts live performances with brief anecdotal interview clips of the legendary jazz singer Betty “Be-Bop” Carter. Produced and filmed between 1976 and 1980, the film uses footage from Carter’s 1980 Howard University concert as the primary performance source. Throughout the film, Carter discusses her rise to fame out of Detroit, Michigan and the many collaborations that assisted in making her a celebrated jazz musician.

Lionel Hampton also appears in the film for interviews as well as onstage with Carter. She also spends a significant amount of time detailing the history of jazz music, its origins within the Black musical tradition, and the ways in which jazz music has influenced popular culture over the years. The film expounds on Carter’s innovation as a record-label owner, composer, and inclined vocalist.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1980
• Directed by: Michelle Parkerson, American
• Subject of: Betty Carter, American, 1929 - 1998
• Written by: Michelle Parkerson, American
• Produced by: Michelle Parkerson, American
• Subject of: Lionel Hampton, American, 1908 - 2002
• Subject of: Howard University, American, founded 1867
• Owned by: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration: 50 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1800 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Documentary films
• Topic: Film
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2017.55.90.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.