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George Geelan Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0046

Scope and Contents

The George Geelan Blues and Jazz Festivals Collection was donated in November 2005 to the Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections by Sara Geelan, niece of George Geelan; it was delivered to the library by Cindy Terwilliger. The heart of the collection consists of over 1500 photographs and over 80 sleeves of negatives, dating from 1995 to 2003. These images primarily document area blues and jazz festivals, such as the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival; the Kansas City, Kansas, Street Festival; and the King Biscuit Festival in Helena, Arkansas. Geelan captured many notable artists, including B.B. King, Wilson Pickett, Ike Turner, Junior Kimbrough, and John Hammond with Washboard Chaz.

The collection also includes information related to Kansas City musician Lawrence Wright, posters from various blues and jazz festivals, blues society membership cards, business cards, postcards, pamphlets and calendars; as well as information regarding the 2000 Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, including Geelan’s email correspondence with other passengers, itineraries, tickets, and other related items.

Additional material includes approximately 120 issues of (Kansas City) Blues News, the official monthly publication of the Kansas City Blues Society, to which Geelan submitted articles. The issues are cataloged in the UMKC Library Catalog and are housed with the Department of Special Collections’ periodical collection.

The collection also contains one audio CD, entitled Hot Licks Cold Steel: Boogie Favorites, which is housed in the Marr Sound Archives, the audio division of Special Collections.

Dates

  • 1994 - 2005

Creator

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status is unknown

Extent

3 Linear Feet (LaBudde: 4 Manuscript Boxes, 6 Photograph Albums.)

Language of Materials

English

Author
LaBudde: Suzanne Golden, Robert C. Ray (supervising archivist).
Date
LaBudde: April 2006.
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Special Collections and Archives Repository