Scope and Content Note
The Sharon Preston-Folta Collection on Lucille Preston and Louis Armstrong spans from 1940 to 2009 with the bulk of materials dating from 1940 to 1968. Of the autograph letters in the Correspondence series, nearly half are from Armstrong to Lucille Preston and express his affection for her and Sharon while touring in the United States and abroad. Armstong's personal letters to Preston are at times crude and demeaning towards women. The remaining letters are chiefly from Joe Glaser and David Gold of Associated Booking, an artist management service shared by both Armstrong and Slim & Sweets. These communications pertain to savings bonds and gifts forwarded to Preston and Sharon on behalf of Armstrong, including after his death.
The Photographs series primarily contains publicity photographs of musicians, dancers, comedians, ventriloquists, contortionists, and other novelty acts with whom Slim & Sweets (Luther and Lucille Preston) performed in the 1940s, primarily on the Chitlin' Circuit. The majority of photographs are inscribed, and some include dates, club locations, addresses, and phone numbers. Names of photographers and artist managers are occasionally included. There is also a small photograph collage assembled by Armstrong as a gift to Lucille Preston present in the series.
The items in the Miscellany series include clippings regarding Louis Armstrong, a customized airplane menu from Armstrong's 1964 tour to Hawaii and Australia, the The Louis Armstrong Songbook, and several concert and festival programs for Armstrong's performances, as well as a program for Larry Steele's Smart Affairs and two programs for the Copacetics and Copeds.
The 2020 gift is housed in box 1. The materials comprising the 2022 gift are located in boxes 2-5.