Series 11: Publicity, 1935-1988 (2.5 cu. ft.; 2 DB, 1 F/O) includes pamphlets, newsletters, magazine articles, concert broadsides, record catalogs and price lists, press releases, and album covers advertising the performance activities and music endorsements of Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. In addition there are "press kits" developed by William Morris, Inc., Moss, Lawson, and Mendez, and the Associated Booking Corporation publicizing the Orchestra's performance. These kits often include brief instructions and suggestions for advertising; photographs; punch lines; lists of famous songs and recordings; brief histories of the band, its musicians, and its peak performances; and short essays about Ellington and his contributions to music and society. The records document various publicity formats used by the Ellington organization to advertise domestic and foreign performances and recordings of the Duke Ellington Orchestra between 1935 and 1974.
Records of special interest include a press kit compiled by the U.S. Information Service for Ellington's Pakistan tour and publicity for his 1967 Carnegie Hall concert, his 1968 and 1974 Sacred Concert performances, his 1969 and 1970 symphonic concerts, and the 1968 White House honors performance for Richard Nixon. In addition, there is a 1988 broadside using Ellington's portrait to advertise a company's paper quality and a score of music written as a tribute to Ellington by a band in Sweden. The records are arranged chronologically. The undated items are located at the end of the series. Oversized materials are physically located at the end of the series but are listed chronologically.
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