A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 1
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 2
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 3
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 4
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 5
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 6
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman - photo 7

A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman

Lot 170
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 4 410
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
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ID 1016533
Lot 170 | A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman
Estimate value
£ 6 000 – 8 000
A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman

Charles “Charlie,” Jr. Parker, Max Roach, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins et al.

PARKER, Charles “Charlie,” Jr. (1920-1955), Max ROACH (1924-2007), Billie HOLIDAY (1915-1959), Coleman HAWKINS, (1904-1969) et al.



A collection of seventeen 78 rpm singles signed by the artists, 1924-1950, originally acquired by photographer and autograph collector Nat Singerman.



Singerman was a professional photographer and co-owner of Character Arts Photo Studio in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1940s and 50s. During this period, he met and befriended many of the jazz greats who made appearances at clubs in and around Cleveland and Chicago. In a 2013 interview with The New York Times, film archivist Joe Lauro, who had acquired Singerman’s photography archive, explained that ‘Nat would go to see [jazz musicians] whenever they came to town. He collected old 78s that some of these artists had made when they were much younger. For example, he had Louis Armstrong records from the ’20s, and he would bring these classics, and Louis would sign in white ink his name, sometimes “to Nat.” He had Billie Holiday sign, he had all kinds of other people sign these records.’ The 2013 profile featured a selection of remarkable colour photographs by Singerman, which show various musicians either posing with or signing Singerman’s 78s, stashed securely in a presentation album. The pot of white ink which Singerman often provided is clearly visible in some of the shots.



Seventeen 10-inch shellac 78 rpm records, variously signed on the labels or sleeves, comprising:



- Charlie Parker (You Came Along From) Out of Nowhere, signed in black ink on the original brown paper Mercury Records sleeve;

- Charlie Parker with Max Roach Buzzy, signed in white ink by Parker and Roach on the A-side label;

- Billie Holiday I'll Be Seeing You, signed in black ink on the brown paper sleeve, and Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, signed slip pasted to A-side label;

- Coleman Hawkins Imagination, Night and Day, Salt Peanuts and Save It Pretty Mama, two signed in blue ink and two signed in white ink on the A-side labels;

- Coleman Hawkins and Oscar Pettiford Esquire Blues and My Ideal, both signed in white ink by Hawkins on the A-side label, with Pettiford’s signed slip pasted to the B-side labels;

- Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines At the El Grotto, Madhouse, and My Fate Is In Your Hands, two signed in white ink on the A-side and one signed in white ink on the B-side label;

- Fletcher Henderson My Papa Doesn’t Two Time No Time, signed in white ink on the A-side label, and Blue Rhythm, signed in white ink on the B-side label;

- Nat ‘King’ Cole Nature Boy, signed in white ink on the A-side label, and Body and Soul, signed in white ink on the B-side label;



the majority with later sleeves; housed in a carpet covered flight case. Provenance: Nat Singerman (photographer and jazz collector) – Bob Altshuler (former CBS Records Vice-President and record collector) – Norman R. Saks (Vail, plates 47c, 588-589, 590-594, 597-601, 608-610).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

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