I'm Just Wild About Eubie/Southern California Hot Jazz Society button and badge: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This button celebrates Eubie Blake. It is made of paper with a purple background with white print, on a two-piece metal button with a straight-style pin back. Attached to the bottom of the button is a badge made of a yellow paper card with red printing and a yellow strip of paper with black printing encapsulated in plastic. A spring-style metal clip is attached to the back of the badge. Both the pin and badge appear to have been connected and worn as a set. The button is printed:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA [image of trumpet] HOT JAZZ SOCIETY Floyd Levin

The Southern California Hot Jazz Society was founded in 1950. The idea for this jazz society, originated in 1949 by Floyd Levin on his Jazz on Parade radio program. Considered as one of the oldest jazz clubs in the United States, SCJHS was a non-profit organization that promoted Dixieland or “Hot Jazz” music originating from New Orleans in the early 20th century. In 2016, SCHJS ceased its operations.

Floyd Levin (1922-2007) was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. His numerous reviews, profiles, and articles were published in magazines such as Down Beat, Jazz Journal International, Metronome, and American Rag. He also authored Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians. Items in this collection (2011.3086) were acquired from Levin’s attendance at Jazz Festivals, conferences, and other music events.

Materials, dates and provenance

• user: Levin, Floyd
• Object Name: badge
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 5 1/2 in x 3 in; 13.97 cm x 7.62 cm
• place made: United States: California
• ID Number: 2011.3086.149
• nonaccession number: 2011.3086
• catalog number: 2011.3086.149
• Credit Line: Gift of Lucille Levin
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.