© The contents of this finding aid are the copyright of the University of Chicago Library
© 2009 University of Chicago Library
The E. Payson Clark, Jr. Papers were processed and preserved as part of the "Uncovering New Chicago Archives Project," funded with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Clark, E. Payson., Jr. Papers, [Box#, Folder#], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
E. Payson Clark, Jr. was born in Rochester, New York on February 6, 1925. He attended the Rochester Public Schools, The University of Rochester, and Cornell University Law School. While at Cornell University, Clark met his future wife, Rea Gibb.
Clark, a legal professional, served in significant positions in law and finance throughout his long legal career. Working in the banking and insurance industries, Clark spent twenty-six years on Wall Street. He also worked for Mudge, Stern, Baldwin & Todd in New York and Washington, D.C. Clark was also an advocate for various jazz festivals and petitioned money on their behalf.
Clark began collecting and recording jazz at the age of 13. He did so by installing a long-range antenna, which he installed, to the highest roof of his parents' home and received broadcasts of live jazz performances from New York City, Chicago, and London. Clark was further inspired to preserve and record live jazz by Marshall Stearns, a professor at Cornell University and author of History of Jazz.
Clark spent over 65 years of his life touring the United States, Canada, Europe, and Russia, creating a thorough and extensive collection of jazz recordings and memorabilia. Through his travels, Clark made extensive contacts with musicians and collectors.
Clark was a well-known presence at principal jazz festivals. For 20 years, he attended the San Diego Dixieland Jazz Festival and was supportive of other California festivals. Clark also helped smaller jazz festivals, such as the Connecticut Traditional Jazz Society.
Clark, fond of his collection of recordings of young British musicians and jazz bands, dubbed England "The Nirvana of Jazz," and "The Paradise of Jazz." He first traveled to Britain in 1997 to hear the late Ben Cohen's Hot Fives and Hot Sevens as well as Ken Ingram's bands. He often traveled to England to record festivals.
The E. Payson Clark, Jr. Papers are divided into five series: Series I, Personal and Photographs; Series II, Events and Musicians; Series III, Catalogs and Discographies; Series IV, Organizations and Publications; Series V, Newspapers and Oversize. The papers contain correspondence, photographs, jazz publications, catalogs, discographies and record lists, jazz festival programs and pins, concert and event mailings, and newspapers.
Series I, Personal and Photographs, contains correspondence, invoices, essays, artifacts from jazz festivals, and photographs of musicians and bands. The correspondence is between record companies, jazz friends and musicians as well as fundraising proposal for various jazz festivals. There are numerical indexes of Clark's extensive LP collection as well as invoices and order requests from various jazz record companies. The handwritten notes document the date, time, and musical composition of the concerts and festivals attended by Clark. There are buttons and pins from various jazz festivals. Also included are Clark's personal writings: "Discographical Note on the New Black Jazz Band," 1991 and "San Diego Festival No. 18," 1997. The photographs are of Clark, musicians, friends, and jazz festivals.
Series II, Events and Musicians, is divided into four subseries: Subseries I, Canada; Subseries II, Europe; Subseries III, United States; and Subseries IV, Musicians. Subseries I, Canada, contains ephemera from concerts and festivals such as programs, fliers, and advertisements. Subseries II, Europe, contains ephemera from concerts and festivals such as programs, fliers, and advertisements. Festivals include Bude Jazz Festival, Keswick Jazz Festival, and Whitley Bay International Jazz Festival. Subseries III, United States, contains ephemera from concerts and festivals such as programs, fliers, and advertisements. Some states included are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Washington and Wisconsin. Subseries IV, Musicians, contains compact disc covers, liner notes, reviews, and photographs of jazz musicians, including Paul Asaro, Swedish Jazz Kings, and Salty Dogs. The musicians general folder contains, postcards and copied photographs of historical jazz musicians. Also included is information on jazz clubs in Chicago in 1915-1930. See Series V for additional event and musician ephemera.
Series III, Catalogs and Discographies, contains record and compact disc catalogs, brochures, record lists, and discographies. Catalogs include Collector's Choice Music, Delmark Records, Jazzbeat, and Rhythm and News. There are lists of jazz records compiled by William C. Barry. The discographies feature the works of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Zenith Hot Stompers. See Series V for additional catalogs.
Series IV, Organizations and Publications, contains newspaper articles, jazz organization newsletters and meeting minutes, and publications. Mostly from The New York Times, the newspaper articles feature prominent jazz musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Louis Armstrong as well as jazz communities of New York City, such as Harlem and Queens. Also included are newsletters of various jazz societies and organizations across the United States, including those of San Diego, San Francisco, New England, and Pennsylvania. There are meeting minutes of the West Mississauga Jazz Muddies. The journal publications include, Just Jazz, Jazznote, and Jazz Guide.
Series V, Newspapers and Oversize, contains various issues of The American Rag and The Mississippi Rag. There are oversize event and musician ephemera, catalogs, and organization newsletters. Also included is a Bicentennial Award presented to Clark by the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations as well as a caricature of Clark drawn by Chuck and Lois Bronz.