Program for a Sidney Bechet performance in Paris: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A signed program for a performance by Sidney Bechet, accompanied by the orchestra of André Réwéliotty, in Paris. It is unclear if the program is for a singular performance or a series. The cover features a black and white photograph of Bechet against a plain white background. Bechet is pictured from the waist up, wearing a checked shirt with dark colored collar and cuffs, holding a partially visible clarinet in his proper left hand. In red print across the top is [SIDNEY] with [BECHET] vertical down the right hand side of the program. Bechet's signature is just to the left of the 'T.' There are fourteen (14) interior pages with black-and-white portraits of Bechet, text, and advertisements in a mix of French and English. On the fourth spread is a list of songs with [SIDNEY BECHET / accompagne par André Réwéliotty et son orchestre / choisira son programme parmi les airs...] at the top indicating the list of musical numbers Bechet will choose from for the performance. The last page has a story about Lionel Hampton in anticipation of an upcoming performance in February 1956. The back cover has an advertisement for Bandit Visa Baghari perfume by Robert Piguet.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1955-1956
• Printed by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Sidney Bechet, American, 1897 - 1959
• Subject of: Lionel Hampton, American, 1908 - 2002
• Subject of: André Réwéliotty, French, 1929 - 1962
• Type: programs
• Medium: ink on paper, metal
• Dimensions: closed: 10 5/8 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27 × 21 × 0.3 cm)
• Dimensions: open: 10 5/8 × 16 1/2 × 1/8 in. (27 × 41.9 × 0.3 cm)
• Place used: Paris, France, Europe
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Object number: 2014.3.21
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Paxton and Rachel Baker
• 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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.