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Pecourt (Edouard) Tango and Latin American music collection
PA Mss 78
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Title: Edouard Pecourt Tango and Latin American music collection
Identifier/Call Number: PA Mss 78
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Language of Material:
Multiple languages
Physical Description:
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)
Creator:
Pecourt, Edouard, 1925-2008
Date (inclusive): 20th century
Date (bulk): 1940-1999
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.
Language of Material: The collection is in English, French, and Spanish.
The collection is open for research.
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.
[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.
Library purchase, 2013.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Published literature and 78 rpm discs have been separated for cataloging, and will be accessible through the UC Santa Barbara
Library online catalog
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Serials (publications)
Sheet music
Tangos -- Argentina
Posters
Tango (Dance)
Milongas (Music)
Folk music -- Argentina
Tango (Dance) -- History
Folk dance music -- Argentina
Música tropical
Photographs
Photographic postcards
Photograph albums
Correspondence
Clippings (information artifacts)
Canaro, Francisco
Gardel, Carlos
Pizarro, Manuel
Troilo, Aníbal
Falú, Eduardo
Piazzolla, Astor
Bianco, Eduardo
Arolas, Eduardo