Background: The tradition of excellence at Fisk has developed out of a history marked by struggle and uncertainty. The Fisk Jubilee Singers originated as a
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Background : The tradition of excellence at Fisk has developed out of a history marked by struggle and uncertainty. The Fisk Jubilee Singers originated as a group of students who set out on a concert tour of the North on October 6, 1871 to save a financially ailing sch ool. Their ages ranged from fifteen to twenty – five years old. The idea to form the group was conceived by George L. White, treasurer, against the disapproval of the University. White borrowed money for the tour. In the beginning, the group met with failure, singing classical and popular music. When they began to sing slave songs, they bought spirituals to the attention of the world during their national and European concerts. It was White who gave them the name Ju bilee Singers in memory of the Jewish Year of Jubilee. The original Jubilee Singers (1871) are Minnie Tate, Greene Evans, Isaac Dickerson, Jennie Jackson, Maggie Porter, Ella Sheppard, Thomas Rutling, Benjamin Holmes, Eliza Walker, and George White as dire ctor. The Singers raised $150,000, which went to the building of Jubilee Hall, now a historic landmark. Today, the tradition of the Jubilee Singers continues at Fisk University. On October 6 th of every year , Fisk University pauses to observe the annivers ary of the singers’ departure from campus in 1871. The contem porary Jubilee Singers perform during the University convocation and conclude the day’s ceremonies with a pilgrimage to the grave sites of the original Jubilee S ingers to sing . Scope and Content Note : The Jubilee Singers Archives , 1858 – 1924, consists of thirteen archival boxes ( 6 .5 linear feet) focused on the activities of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. There is an abundance of correspondence s from members including George White ( org anizer ), Ella Sheppard Moore, Mabel Imes, America Robinson, Maggie Porter, and Julia Jackson. The collection also includes newspaper clippings, photographs, publicity materials , and programs . The intellect of Ella Sheppard Moore is made apparent through her many manuscripts and publications in the collection . The Jubilee Singers documented there expeditions very well, as , while t he sheet music captu res the historical music and arrangements dating back to 1872. In addition, t here are three archival boxes filled with materials collected by the Jubilee Singers during their excursions throughout the United States and Europe .
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Jubilee Singers Archives 18 58 – 19 24 Inventory Box 1 History of the Jubilee Singers Correspondence f. 1. History of the Jubilee Singers — Manuscript 2. Biographical Information — Mabel Lewis Imes 3. Correspondence, General — 1858 – 1860, 1870 – 1875 4. Correspondence, General — January August 1876 5. Correspondence, General — September December 1876 6. Correspondence, General — 1877 – 1878, 1883, 1895 , 1899 7. Correspondence, General — no date 8. Correspondence, General — no date 9 . Correspondence, Personal — Imes, Mabel L. 10. Correspondence, Personal — Jackson, Julia 11. Correspondence, Personal — Porter, Maggie 12. Correspondence, Personal — Robinson, America, 187 5 – 1876 13. Correspondence, Personal — Robinson, America, 1 877 – 1878 14. Correspondence, Personal — Sheppard, Ella Box 2 Financial Records f. 1. Financial Records — Contracts — 1872 – 1876, no date 2. Financial Records — Jubilees Fund Statements — 1876 3. Financial Records — Jubilee Singers Receipts and Statements — 1873 4. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1874 5. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1875 6. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1876 7. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1877 8. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1878 9. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — 1907 10. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — miscellaneous 11. Financial Records — Jubilee S ingers Receipts and Statements — n.d. Box 3 (Flat B ox) Newspaper Clippings Publicity f. 1 . Newspaper Clippings — 1870 – 1875 2. Newspaper Clippings — 1876 – 1877 3 . Newspaper Clippings — 1901, 1912, 1922
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4 . Newspaper Clippings — Mr. and Mrs. James Myers, Directors of Jubilee Singers 5 . Newspaper Clippings — n.d. 6 . Newspaper Clippings — n . d . 7 . Publicity Poster — Fisk Jubilee Singers, 1873 8 . Publicity Poster — Fisk Jubilee Singers National Tour, 1915 – 1916 9 . Publicity Poster — Fisk Jubilee Singers, 1919 – 1920 Box 4 ( Flat B ox) Photographs f. 1. Photographs — Ella Sheppard (about 16 years old) and Rosa Sheppard (about 4 years old), 1867 2. Photographs — Jubilee Singers, 1871 3. Photographs — Mr. George L. and Susan Gilbert White, 1876 4. Photographs — Jubilee Singers, 1873 5. Photographs — Jubilee Singers, 1880 – 1881 6. Photographs — Jubilee Singers, 1890 7. Photographs — Jubi lee Singers, 1898 8. Photographs — Jubilee Singers , circa 1900 – 1902 9. Photographs — Jubilee Singers and others as they appear in the Fisk University News , 19 11 10. Photographs — Ella Sheppard Moore, n.d. 11. Photographs — Jubilee Singers Autographs, n.d. 12. Photographs — Rev. August Pike, n.d. 13. Photographs — Students of Professor White, n.d. 14. Photographs — Friends of the Jubilee Singers in Britain, n.d. 15 . Photographs — Jubilee Singers, m iscellaneous Box 5 Programs f. 1. Programs — P re – Jubilee Singers concert , 1871 2. Programs — 1872 3. Programs — 1873 4. Programs — 1874 5. Programs — 1875 6. Programs — 1876 7. Programs 1877 – 1879 8 . Programs — 1880 9 . Programs — 1881 – 1882 10 . Programs — 1886 11 . Programs — 1895 – 1898 1 2 . Programs — 1899 13 . Programs — 1918, 1921
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1 4 . Programs n.d. Box 6 Publications , Salutation s , and Writings f. 1. Publications — Negro Womanhood: Its Past . A uthored by Ella Sheppard Moore 2. Publications — Before Emancipation. Authored by Ella Sheppard Moore 3 . Publications — Article on Ella Sheppard Moore in the Nashville Globe , December 1907 4 . Publications — The Story of a Li fe. Authored by George W. Moore 5. Publications — Pamphlet about the Jubilee Singers from Berlin , 1877 6. Publications — Fisk University News, Jubil ee Singers Number, October 1911 7. Publications — Fisk University News, Jubilee Singers Number, November 1914 8. Publications — Fisk University News, Jubilee Singers Number, October 1915 9 . Salutations — 1878 , Rockrich, pastor and president of the reformed Conisbury of Strasbourg (Alsace) 10. Writings — Book of Verse presented to Ella Sheppard by Mabel Lewis, 1874. (vault) 11. Writings — Manuscript, Poem composed by Ella Sheppard Moore for the Jubilee Singers, 1875. Authored by Ella Sheppard 12 . Writings — Diary of Ella Sheppard, November 7, 1874 – November 14, 187 6 (vault) 13 . Writings — Diary of Ella Sheppard, October 19, 1877 – July 15, 1878 (vault) 14 . Writings — Note concerning a gift of beads given to the Jubilee Singers, authored by Ella Sheppard Moore . n.d. 15. Writings — Diary and Almanac of J. H. Halley, 1877 16. Wr itings — Notes, n.d. 17 . Writings — Miscellaneous Box 7 (vault) Scrapbook s , 1867 – 1877 f. 1. Scrapbook — 1867 – 1872 (cd) 2. Scrapbook — 1873 – 1874 3. Scrapbook — 1876 – 1877 Box 8 (vault) Scrapbooks , 1877 – 1881, 1888 f. 1. Scrapbook — 1877 – 1878 2. Scrapbook — 1879 – 1881 3. Scrapbook — Press Notices and Letters, 1888
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Box 9 Sheet Music f. 1. Sheet Music — Merrylees of Gaslow, Scotland; 1872 2. Sheet Music — Merrylees of Gaslow, Scotland; 1872 3. Sheet Music — Jubilee Songs (as sung by the Fisk U niversity Jubilee Singers), 1872 4. Sheet Music — – 1922 5. Sheet Music — the Spirit, n . d . Box 10 Collected f. 1. Collected — George W. Moore — Souvenir du Nouveau Paris 2. Collected — America Robinson — Memorabilia 3. Collected — Ella Sheppard — Guidebook for Belgium and Holland, 1875 4. Collected — Ella Sheppard — Railroad Map of the United States and Canada, 1880 5 . Collected — Rosa Sheppard — Teaching Certification from Fisk University, 1881 6 . Collected — George L. White — Pitch Pipe and Brooch 7 . Collected — Autographs written for the original Jubilee Singers, 1873 – 1891 8 . Collected — Autographs written for th e original Jubilee Singers, 1875 Box 11 Collected f. 1. Collected — Book of Costumes — Remembrance of Holland from Rotterdam, April 1877 2. Collected — Jubilee Singers Letter Book 3. Collected — Jubilee Singers Passports, 1877 4. Collected — Jubilee Singers Pocketbook inscribed 5. Collected — Jubilee Singers Pocketbook inscribed 6. Collected — Samples of Woolen Goods from the John Houston and Co. in Gaslow, Scotland 7. Collected — Scenes from Berlin 8. Collect ed — Tickets for Jubilee Singers Concerts, 1873, 1875 (vault) 9. Collected — Views in the Scottish Lake District in Scotland 10. Collected — Miscellaneous
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