Quentin “Butter” Jackson papers and artifacts

This collection spans Jackson's personal and professional life from his early career to his death. There are music manuscripts and sketches, lyrics, artist song books, and published bass trombone music books. Also included is a tour itinerary, travel receipts, airplane tickets, concert programs, tourist brochures, and souvenirs. There is a copy of a transcript of Milt Hinton’s interview with Quentin (1978) from the Smithsonian Institution’s Jazz Oral History project.

The photographs document bands Jackson played in from 1933 to 1960, as well as other early bands including the Cab Calloway orchestra (1946), McKinney’s Cotton Pickers (1933), and Wesley Helvey’s Troubadours (1925). Also included are Jackson press photos and many signed artist press photographs. These include the Brown twins (1937), Don Redman (1933), Sally Gooding (1932), Sonny Til, and a Tony Bennett photo. A portion of the collection is dedicated to Duke Ellington memorabilia and includes newspaper clippings, concert programs, flyers, and a 1939 Duke Ellington French concert program.

The bulk of the collection contains personal papers and artifacts. There are correspondence and postcards, mostly from the latter half of his life. Also included are address books, passports, playbills, financial records, and personal receipts. There are obituary newspaper clippings of Jackson's death and sympathy cards to Quentin's wife. The artifacts include personal items such as a money clip, watch, travel case, cigarette case, cuff links, and his wife's jewelry. There is also a metronome, brochures for Baha’I Faith, and a music graph. The personal photographs in this collection document Jackson's later life with family and friends.