Baton used by Dr. Issac Greggs with The Human Jukebox marching band: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A baton used by Dr. Issac Ben Greggs, the Director of the Southern University - Baton Rouge marching band nicknamed "the Human Jukebox." The baton has a white plastic stick and a varnished, light brown wooden handle that is smoothly rounded at its base. The stick of the baton tapers towards the tip, away from the handle. Dr. Greggs used the baton to direct The Human Jukebox during games and performances.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 2000
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Used by: Dr. Isaac Ben Greggs, American, 1929 - 2014
• Subject of: The Human Jukebox, American, founded 1969
• Subject of: Southern University and A&M College, American, founded 1880
• Type: batons (music equipment)
• Medium: wood and plastic
• Dimensions: H x W (width at handle): 12 1/4 × 3/4 in. (31.1 × 1.9 cm)
• Place used: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Marching bands (Music)
• Object number: 2016.21.4
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Mrs. Rose Greggs in loving memory of her husband Dr. Isaac Ben Greggs
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.