Black Composers Series: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This object is comprised of eight discs (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h) of the long-playing record Black Composers Series, an album box liner (i), and box (j) and lid (k) . The vinyl discs (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h) has a round red label with yellow text on the left-hand side that reads “CBS/ SPECIAL/ PRODUCTS.” There is a yellow line around the border. The rest of the text is black. The album box liner (i) is a booklet of seventeen pages with biographies of each of the composers featured on the album. The cover of the booklet has a white background with a square in the center that has a print of collage artwork by David Driskell. This illustration shows an abstract depiction of a man. The man’s head and left hand are collage additions to a painted surface. The man wears a hat and a billowing shirt of multiple floral patterns and colors with a long white ruffled sleeve. His head is tilted against his right shoulder and his eyes are closed. He appears to be cradling an instrument in his right hand. The artist’s signature is visible on the man’s ruffled left sleeve cuff. Above the collage near the top margin is black text that reads “CBS Records’/ BLACK COMPOSERS SERIES.” Below the collage text reads “THE COLLEGE MUSIC SOCIETY.” The flyleaf of the booklet has a short essay titled “In Appreciation” regarding the reissue of this album set and the parties who made it possible. The facing page is the title page. The following two pages contain the Table of Contents of the booklet and the Program Contents of the albums. The subsequent pages contain the composers’ biographies, each accompanied by a black and white portrait. The box (j) is black cardboard. The lid (k) is matching black cardboard with a white top. On the top surface is a reproduction of the booklet cover. This features a white background with a square in the center that has a print of collage artwork by David Driskell. This illustration shows an abstract depiction of a man. The man’s head and left hand are collage additions to a painted surface. The man wears a hat and a billowing shirt of multiple floral patterns and colors with a long white ruffled sleeve. His head is tilted against his right shoulder and his eyes are closed. He appears to be cradling an instrument in his right hand. The artist’s signature is visible on the man’s ruffled left sleeve cuff. Above the collage near the top margin is black text that reads “CBS Records’/ BLACK COMPOSERS SERIES.” Below the collage text reads “THE COLLEGE MUSIC SOCIETY.” There are several small brown spots on the lower right side of the lid. Album release number P 19426.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1986
• Published by: CBS Records International, 1961 - 1991
• Composed by: Chevalier de Saint-Georges, French, 1745 - 1799
• Composed by: William Grant Still, American, 1895 - 1978
• Composed by: Ulysses Simpson Kay, American, 1917 - 1995
• Composed by: George Theophilus Walker, American, 1922 - 2018
• Composed by: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, British, 1875 - 1912
• Composed by: José Maurício Nunes Garcia, Brazilian, 1767 - 1830
• Composed by: Roque Cordero, Panamanian, 1917 - 2009
• Type: record covers
• Type: long-playing records
• Medium: (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h): vinyl with ink on paper (fiber product)
• Medium: (i): ink on paper (fiber product)
• Medium: (j,k): ink on paper (fiber product) on cardboard
• Dimensions: Diameter (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h. disc): 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (i. liner notes booklet): 11 1/2 × 11 1/2 in. (29.2 × 29.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (j,k. box, lid): 12 3/8 × 12 3/8 × 1 in. (31.4 × 31.4 × 2.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Classical (Music)
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2015.189.57a-k
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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: © 1986 The College Music Society; © CBS Inc Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.