Thaddeus Drayton collection, 1926-1960.

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Thaddeus Drayton collection, 1926-1960.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/144682722

The Thaddeus Drayton collection documents portions of his career as a member of the tap dance team of Drayton and Greenlee. Included are letters from W.C. Handy concerning a tribute honoring him and with song lyrics on the reverse (1950-1951), letters from composer/conductor Eva Jessye (1960), and letters from Germany and Russia in 1926. Programs from the Veteran's Camp in Mt. McGregor where Drayton performed in 1950, and from the Negro Actors Guild, mention his name. Of special interest is manuscript music from the Teddy Drayton and Lucille act. There are also song lyrics printed in Italian.

1 folder

New York Public Library System, NYPL

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SNAC Resource ID: 6829144

New York Public Library System, NYPL

Related Entities

There are 5 Entities related to this resource.

Handy, W. C., 1873-1958

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wj3h4j (person)

W. C. Handy, also known as William Christopher Handy (born Florence, Alabama, November 16, 1873-died March 25, 1958, New York, New York), known as the "Father of the Blues," is credited with helping popularize blues music. In 1896, he joined W. A. Mahara's Minstrels, as its trumpeter-bandleader and began a theatrical production that featured African American music. In the early 1900s, he started writing his own music with the first published commercial blues song "Memphis Blues," which became a ...

Greenlee and Drayton (Dance company)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bs2p4p (corporateBody)

Greenlee, Rufus

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6q52qst (person)

Drayton, Thaddeus

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xg9tjj (person)

Thaddeus Drayton (1893-1964) together with Rufus Greenlee (1893-1963), pioneered the "class act" tap style, which combined grace and elegance with precision soft-shoe tap dancing. Known as "Greenlee and Drayton," they wore top hats and tails, adding monocles and canes to their costume. They were among the few African Americans to play at the Palace Theater in New York on the vaudeville circuit during World War I. Their act broke up in 1930; Drayton then formed a dance act with Lucille Smith in t...

Jessye, Eva, 1895-1992

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nk3cvg (person)

Eva Jessye-Director of Music-Writer. b. Coffeyville, Kan.; educated Western University, Kansas City, Kan.; State University for Colored, Langston, OK. Director of Music, Morgan College, Baltimore, Md., 1920; Editorial staff, Afro-American, Baltimore, Md., one year. Won prizes: Essay, Music, Poetry, Interstate Literary Society of Kansas and the West; President Interstate Society, 1924. Director of Music, first all-Negro moving picture, "Hallelujah," produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation, di...