Explore Black History

1986

Originally packaged in brown sleeves, the packaging and presentation of recorded music was transformed when an art director at Columbia Records, created the first album cover using graphic design in 1939. By the late 1940s, the first commercially available vinyl 12” long-playing record was introduced by Columbia Records and featured colorful paper and cardboard covers in both 10" and 12" sizes. The name "album" was used to describe the new music format and the creation of artistic album covers continued as well.

This object is comprised of eight discs (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h) of the long-playing record Black Composers Series, an album box liner (i), and box (j) and lid (k) . The vinyl discs (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h) has a round red label with yellow text on the left-hand side that reads “CBS/ SPECIAL/ PRODUCTS.” There is a yellow line around the border. The rest of the text is black. The album box liner (i) is a booklet of seventeen pages with biographies of each of the composers featured on the album. The cover of the booklet has a white background with a square in the center that has a print of collage artwork by David Driskell. This illustration shows an abstract depiction of a man. The man’s head and left hand are collage additions to a painted surface. The man wears a hat and a billowing shirt of multiple floral patterns and colors with a long white ruffled sleeve. His head is tilted against his right shoulder and his eyes are closed. He appears to be cradling an instrument in his right hand. The artist’s signature is visible on the man’s ruffled left sleeve cuff. Above the collage near the top margin is black text that reads “CBS Records’/ BLACK COMPOSERS SERIES.” Below the collage text reads “THE COLLEGE MUSIC SOCIETY.” The flyleaf of the booklet has a short essay titled “In Appreciation” regarding the reissue of this album set and the parties who made it possible. The facing page is the title page. The following two pages contain the Table of Contents of the booklet and the Program Contents of the albums. The subsequent pages contain the composers’ biographies, each accompanied by a black and white portrait. The box (j) is black cardboard. The lid (k) is matching black cardboard with a white top. On the top surface is a reproduction of the booklet cover. This features a white background with a square in the center that has a print of collage artwork by David Driskell. This illustration shows an abstract depiction of a man. The man’s head and left hand are collage additions to a painted surface. The man wears a hat and a billowing shirt of multiple floral patterns and colors with a long white ruffled sleeve. His head is tilted against his right shoulder and his eyes are closed. He appears to be cradling an instrument in his right hand. The artist’s signature is visible on the man’s ruffled left sleeve cuff. Above the collage near the top margin is black text that reads “CBS Records’/ BLACK COMPOSERS SERIES.” Below the collage text reads “THE COLLEGE MUSIC SOCIETY.” There are several small brown spots on the lower right side of the lid. Album release number P 19426.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Record Albums

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2015.189.57a-k

record covers
long-playing records

© 1986 The College Music Society; © CBS Inc
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h): vinyl with ink on paper (fiber product)
(i): ink on paper (fiber product)
(j,k): ink on paper (fiber product) on cardboard

Diameter (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h. disc): 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)
H x W (i. liner notes booklet): 11 1/2 × 11 1/2 in. (29.2 × 29.2 cm)
H x W x D (j,k. box, lid): 12 3/8 × 12 3/8 × 1 in. (31.4 × 31.4 × 2.5 cm)

Title • Black Composers Series

nmaahc_2015.189.57a-k

NMAAHC

BLACK COMPOSERS SERIES

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1980s

Sowande, Fela • Hakim, Talib-Rasul • Still, William Grant • White Lafitte, José Silvestre de los Dolores • Baker, David Nathaniel • CBS Records International • Cordero, Roque • Smith, Hale • Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel • Kay, Ulysses Simpson • Hailstork, Adolphus Cunningham • Nunes Garcia, José Maurício • Anderson, Jr., Thomas Jefferson • Driskell, David C. • de Saint Georges, Chevalier • The College Music Society • Walker, George Theophilus • Wilson, Olly Woodrow

Classical (Music) • Composers (Musicians)

Phonograph records • Record covers

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