Edouard Pecourt Tango and Latin American music collection, 20th century, bulk 1940-1999

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Pecourt, Edouard, 1925-2008
Abstract:
The Edouard Pecourt Tango and Latin American music collection consists of correspondence, photographs, albums, clippings playbills, programs, ephemera, manuscript scores, sheet music, lyrics sheets, and research materials related to tango and Latin American music from the beginning of the 20th century, amassed by Edouard Pecourt (1925-2008) record consultant, tango and Latin American music historian, discographer, and collector.
Extent:
33 linear feet (38 document boxes, 3 half-size document boxes, 13 oversize boxes, 2 roll storage boxes, 1 map cabinet drawer, 15 videocassettes, 13 films)
Language:
Multiple languages and The collection is in English, French, and Spanish.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Edouard Pecourt Tango and Latin American music collection, PA Mss 78. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

This is the manuscript portion of an archive containing 20,000 sound recordings, 6,000 pieces of sheet music, thousands of audio and videotapes, serials, discographies, and books pertaining to tango and Latin American music from 1900 forward.

The manuscript portion of the collection contains correspondence, photographs, albums, clippings, artifacts, posters, some serials and sheet music, playbills, programs, ephemera, sound recording catalogs and unique audio and visual materials.

The collection also contain notes and writings generated by Pecourt in the course of his tango and Latin American music research.

Well represented are materials related to tango artists Carlos Gardel, Anibal Troilo, Ernesto Rondo, Eduardo Falú, and especially famed Argentine composer and musician Astor Piazzolla, a personal friend of Edouard Pecourt.

Among the Piazolla materials are signed original manuscript scores, signed photographs, and letters to Pecourt from Piazzolla dating from 1955 to 1974.

Biographical / historical:

Born in Montmartre, Paris, France, Edouard Pecourt (1925-2008) lived in France until 1986 when he married American Jocelyn Howells and moved to Portland, Oregon. From 1954 Pecourt ran La Boite à Disques in Paris, where he sold antique phonographs, records and postcards. In Paris, Pecourt imported many tango recordings from South America and worked as a record consultant for the Odeon company. Pecourt was a friend of Astor Piazzolla, Eduardo Falú, and other well known tango artists and composers. He was a world-renowned historian, archivist, discographer, and collector of all things related to tango music and dance.

Acquisition information:
Library purchase, 2013.
Custodial history:

In 2010 the UCSB Library acquired much of the former store inventory and collection of Parisian record dealer Edouard Pecourt, owner of the store La Boîte à Disques, a small antiquarian record shop in Paris from the early 1950s through 1980s. Pecourt emigrated to the United States in 1986 and brought with him his vast collection, much of which would be rarely found outside of Europe. In this collection were thousands of early French cylinder and disc recordings as well as recordings from Spain, Latin American and elsewhere. But the heart of Pecourt's collection was his incredible collection of recordings and materials related to the Tango, Argentine, and Latin American music. The library acquired the remainder of his collection from his widow in late 2013.

Arrangement:

The collection has been divided into the following series: 1. Artist Files, 2. Tango Files, 3. Folklorico Files, 4.Tropical Files, 5. Clippings, 6. Photographs, 7. Artifacts, and 8. Audiovisual.

Physical location:
Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Edouard Pecourt Tango and Latin American music collection, PA Mss 78. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
Website