New Collections

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Archive of Recorded Sound Receives New Collections

In December, two valuable collections of jazz records – the Ernest Johnson Sr. Collection and the Lloyd V. and Julia R. Mathis Collection – were donated to the Richard F. Wright Memorial Jazz Archive, a component of the University of Kansas Archive of Recorded Sound.

The University of Kansas Archive of Recorded Sound is an exceptional collection of recordings of great historical significance. Containing some 160,000 items, it is one of the 10 largest sound archives in the country, and many of its recordings are among the rarest in the world.

The Richard F. Wright Memorial Jazz Archive, dedicated to the memory of faculty member Richard “Dick” Wright, covers all major jazz periods from the 1920’s and 1930’s on 78-rpm recordings as well as the many genres following WWII (bop, cool, funky/hard bop, third stream, free jazz, avant-garde, fusion and soul jazz). It also includes the personal collection of orchestral leader and jazz promoter Loring “Red” Nichols.

The Ernest Johnson Sr. Collection and the Lloyd V. and Julia R. Mathis Collections amply complement its current holdings, and significantly enhance the number of pre-World War II recordings available for consultation.

Ernest Johnson Sr.

Ernest Johnson Sr. began collecting jazz records while a student at KU in the early 1920s and he remained an avid collector for the next 70 years. Johnson was also a well-known radio personality with the Kansas City radio station WDAF, and was a jazz critic for many years.

The collection is comprised of approximately 6,000 recordings; many were of limited issue or promotional items, and some are of extreme rarity. These include recordings on small Kansas City and regional labels, which are of particular interest. Johnson’s family, who chose KU to receive this collection because of their father’s affection for the university and his fond memories of his studies here, presented to the archive Johnson’s collections of photographs (many autographed) of jazz artists and rare sheet music.

Lloyd V. and Julia R. Mathis

 

Lloyd V.

The Lloyd V. and Julia R. Mathis Collection is also the result of a life-long affection for jazz. Lloyd Victor Mathis, born May 6, 1919 in Texarkana, Arkansas, began collecting jazz records while serving in the famed “Flying Tigers” squadron based in China during World War II. After his return to the states Mr. Mathis was employed by Neiman Marcus specialty stores of Dallas, eventually rising to a management position and serving on the company’s board of directors.

In 1949 Lloyd Mathis married Julia Belle Ratcliff, a talented harpist and pianist who earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Austin College in 1943. Both were enthusiastic jazz fans who attended concerts and jazz festivals throughout the nation. The Lloyd V. and Julia R. Mathis Collection contains approximately 750 recordings, primarily 78 rpm records, and encompasses a wide range of jazz styles.

Julia R. Mathis

The collection includes a substantial portion of the recordings of the pianist Thomas “Fats” Waller, Mr. Mathis’ favorite performer. These records in particular are of great value, and generated a great deal of interest when notice of the collection surfaced. Patrick Childress, Mathis’ nephew, chose KU’s Archive of Recorded Sound over a host of other, interested archives because of the depth and reputation of the Richard F. Wright Memorial Jazz Archive and its commitment to preserving intact the legacy of his aunt and uncle.