Scrapbook owned by Reginald Beane: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A brown leather-bound scrapbook documenting the career of actor and pianist, Reginald "Sonny" Beane.

The front and back covers of the scrapbook are constructed of brown leather on cardboard, with interior leaves of thick off-white paper. The front cover features an embossed decorative geometric design of a cross within a rose within a starburst. Materials within consist of three (3) photographs, twenty-eight (28) partial telegraph messages, four (4) letters, five (5) tickets, a typed CV, and many dozens of newspaper and program clippings mounted on 28 scrapbook leaves.

Much of the content is related to Beane's performance in William Saroyan's play "The Time of Your Life," including clippings of reviews and programs, congratulatory telegrams from Ethel Waters and Frances Williams, a letter and postcard signed by Saroyan, and a photograph of Beane at his piano in a 1940 Chicago performance of the play. Other highlights include a 1939 photograph of Beane with conductor Eva Jessye; a 1943 letter from the principal of an Oakland, CA junior high school thanking Beane for his visit; a 1944 promotional card showing Beane on the bill with actor Canada Lee and trumpeter Erskine Hawkins, and more. There are no markings on the reverse of the cover.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1939-1944
• Compiled by: Reginald Beane, American, 1918 - 1985
• Subject of: Reginald Beane, American, 1918 - 1985
• Subject of: Ethel Waters, American, 1896 - 1977
• Subject of: Frances Williams, American, 1908 - 1995
• Subject of: Erskine Hawkins, American, 1914 - 1993
• Subject of: William Saroyan, Armenian American, 1908 - 1981
• Subject of: Eva Jessye, American, 1895 - 1992
• Type: scrapbooks
• Medium: leather on cardboard with paper (fiber product) and cotton (fiber)
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 14 9/16 × 12 3/8 × 1 5/8 in. (37 × 31.5 × 4.2 cm)
• Place depicted: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Atlanta, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2022.21.15
• 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: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.