Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Enchanters records, 1925-1929
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Enchanters (Seattle, Wash.)
- Title
- Enchanters records
- Dates
- 1925-1929 (inclusive)19251929
- Quantity
- 0.2 linear feet, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- WCMss.016
- Summary
- Correspondence and photographs of a Seattle barbershop quartet known for its renditions of Southern spirituals and minstrel songs.
- Repository
-
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Enchanters were founded as the Seattle Lions Club Quartette, presumably in the mid 1920s. Its members were Marshall Sohl (first tenor), Elmore Bostwick (second tenor), Rudolph Allen (first bass), and Cecil Remington (second base). The group performed at Lions Club functions, at venues throughout Washington state, and toured in California. In 1928, the quartet recorded "Deep River" and "Moanin' Lady" for the Columbia Record Company, becoming the first Lions Club quartet to be recorded professionally.
By 1929, the group had changed its name to the Enchanters. The quartet performed regularly on radio station KJR in Seattle, Washington and developed a following of fans who enjoyed their old time Southern repertoire of spirituals and minstrel songs. Other broadcasters carried the Enchanters Quartet's programs, enabling listeners throughout the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, and beyond to hear their music.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains primarily business correspondence, including fan mail from appreciative listeners. Other business correspondence discusses performance engagements, music selection, and business sponsorship of the Enchanters Quartet's radio show. Snapshots, publicity photographs, and newspaper clippings complete the collection.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Correspondence | 1929 |
1 | 2 | Miscellaneous | 1925-1929 |
1 | 3 | Photographs | undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Allen, Rudolph
- Bostwick, Elmore
- Remington, Cecil
- Sohl, Marshall
Corporate Names
- Lions Club (Seattle, Wash.)