Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Powell (Gordon Specs) Photograph Collection
TBC.GSP
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Gordon Specs Powell Photograph Collection
Identifier/Call Number: TBC.GSP
Physical Description:
1.2 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1966-2001
Abstract: Gordon Specs Powell
was a jazz musician who was hired as the first African American orchestra staff for the CBS
network. Powell performed with such jazz luminaries as Billie Holiday, John Kirby, and Red
Norvo during the height of the 52nd Street music scene in New York. Later in life, he
retired and moved to Southern California, where he continued to pursue his interests in the
arts, including photography. This small collection spans the years 1966 to 2001, with most
materials created in the 1980s and the 1990s. The majority of the materials are negatives,
prints, and contact sheets. Powell's professional portraits, Southern California events and
music, and the sculpture of Tina Allen are prominently featured in this
collection.
Language of Material:
English
Gordon Specs Powell was born in 1922 in New York, New York. Powell gained fame as a drummer
playing multiple jazz clubs in the heyday of New York's 52nd Street. During his music
career, he performed as a drummer or percussionist alongside such notable jazz musicians as
Billie Holiday, Red Norvo, John Kirby, and Edgar Hayes. In 1943, the CBS network hired
Powell as the first African American orchestra member on staff. At the network, he performed
first on radio for such shows as
The Raymond Scott Show and
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, and then on television for
such shows as
The Ed Sullivan Show,
The Jackie Gleason Show, and
Candid
Camera
for almost 30 years. During World War II and his union's strike at CBS,
Powell often appeared with Benny Goodman and other musicians on V Discs (Victory Discs)
recordings, which were produced and sent overseas by the United States government to their
troops for the purpose of boosting morale. Powell's distinguishable musical traits during
his performances were his noisemaker kit, which typically included items such as castanets
and clickers, and his bongo bracket, which helped him quickly transition between instruments
without changing position.
In the early 1970s, Powell retired from the music business and moved to the Virgin Islands
with his wife, Peggy. In 1979, they relocated to Los Angeles, and then later to San Diego.
In Los Angeles, Powell had a photography studio for a short period of time. Between 1992 to
2000, he and Peggy operated a frozen yogurt shop in San Diego. In 2007, he died from
complications of kidney disease.
The Gordon Specs Powell Photograph Collection consists of portraits and images of Southern
California events, music, and sculpture created by artist Tina Allen, Powell's daughter. The
subjects of Powell's portraits include his clients and acquaintances, most of whom are
African American. Some of the portraits were created at Powell's Los Angeles studio at the
address of 8726 South Sepulveda Boulevard. The photographs were mostly taken during the
1980s and 1990s, and the collection covers the time period from 1966 to 2001. Materials
include negatives, prints, contact sheets, and newspaper clippings. There are approximately
2,500 images in the collection.
This small collection showcases the lesser-known professional and personal photographic
output of Powell, who has been most recognized for his musical talent. The events documented
show his ties to Southern California, where he lived in Los Angeles and Escondido after
retiring in 1974. Although the collection lacks images of his music career from the 1940s to
the 1970s, it does include some photographs of musicians and festivals in the region.
Another highlighted subject is Tina Powell. Powell's sustained interest in Tina Allen's
sculpture is evident in the images and articles collected on the artist from the time of her
artistic beginnings to the peak of her career.
Collection folders are arranged alphabetically by title. Main subject is listed first in
the title. Negatives and smaller prints have been separated physically. Some negatives have
corresponding prints because they came from the same roll of film, and thus they share the
same title. The titles are marked with "Negatives" or "Prints" to specify the main format of
the materials in each folder. For corresponding negatives and prints from the same batch,
there may be more negatives than prints or more prints than negatives. Some negatives have
corresponding contact sheets that have been placed right after the negatives in the same
folder.
Events folders consist of photographs of events in Southern California, and include such
events as parades, visits to local attractions, and ceremonies. Notable figures photographed
include Tom Bradley.
Family folders consist of Powell's personal family photographs.
Music folders consist of photographs of performances, festivals, concerts, and musicians
mostly relating to jazz, Latin, percussion, and big band music. Notable figures photographed
include saxophonist James Moody, Max Roach, and the Frankie Capp Orchestra.
Portraits folders consist of studio and non-studio portraits of individuals, couples,
families, and weddings, as well as Powell's studio administrative records in the form of
orders, notations, and receipts.
Sculpture by Tina Allen folders consist of photographs of various sculptures created by
Tina Allen and of Tina Allen herself, and a couple of newspaper clippings on the artist
during her high school years.
This collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright
status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the
written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
For information about citing items in this collection, consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing
Archival Materials
guide.
Elizabeth Peattie, 2022
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographs