Title: The William Tallmadge Music Collection

Date Span: [1925-1975]

Acquisition Number: N/A

Creator: Various

Donor: Dr. William Tallmadge

Date of Acquisition: July, 1976- ca. 1982

Extent: 6 boxes; 78 RPM phonorecords; 5 boxes reel-to-reel tapes; 1 box catalogues

Language: English

Location: Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State 

Processed: ca. 1980; Marjorie Lord, reprocessed 2011

Access: The William Tallmadge Music Collection is open for research. 

Reproduction of Materials: 
See Archivist for information on reproducing materials from this collection, including photocopies, digital camera images, or digital scans, as well as copyright restrictions that may pertain to these materials. 

Even though all reasonable and customary best-practices have been pursued, this collection may contain materials with confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the SUNY Buffalo State assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation: 
[Description and dates], Box/folder number, The William Tallmadge Music Collection, Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State.

Biographical Note:
Dr. William H. Tallmadge (1916-2004), Professor of Music and charter member of the Sonneck Society (now the Society for American Music). Dr. Tallmadge taught music at Buffalo State College from 1949-1976, specializing in jazz and American folk music. Indeed, he developed the first course for credit in the United States on the history of jazz. Dr. Tallmadge's work is especially notable for the attention he paid to recording and studying African American church music of the early 20th century, though it is believed that none of these recordings are maintained within this collection. Dr. Tallmadge continued to teach at Berea College after his retirement from Buffalo State College.

Scope and Contents:
The William Tallmadge Music Collection is comprised mainly of commercial recordings and reel-to-reel tapes of music utilized in Dr. Tallmadge's music classes. Notably, many of the latter material has not be fully processed; consequently the exact titles of these records are unclear. Other materials include 1.5 linear feet of commercial music catalogues from the 1930s and 1940s as well as one linear foot of notes on index cards related to the collection's contents.