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Photo: Scott Leen
Ernestine Anderson
Photo: Scott Leen

Ernestine Anderson

Datenegative 1988, printed 2022
Maker Eduardo Calderón Peruvian, born 1949
Label TextIn 1988, jazz historian and author Paul de Barros asked Eduardo Calderón to take portraits of Seattle’s jazz artists for his book, Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle (Sasquatch Books, 1993), the first comprehensive history of Seattle’s vibrant but largely forgotten jazz scene between 1918 and 1980. Musicians from New Orleans and Chicago joined ranks with local bands, forging a supportive community where Black and white musicians melded musical styles and nurtured their budding careers. Many garnered national reputations, such as Ray Charles (1930–2004), Quincy Jones (born 1933), and Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016), who came to Seattle from Texas as a teen and whose voice de Barros described by Jones as “honey at dusk.” She toured with some big-name bands but returned to Seattle as a leading light. Floyd Standifer (1929–2007) was a versatile artist, singing and playing trumpet and saxophone in the swing and bebop styles. Jones, a Seattle legend and national treasure, was fostered in his own artistry by many Seattle musicians. Today, he is one of the most heralded musicians, songwriters, composers, and producers of our time. Calderón, an internationally known photographer living in Seattle, captured some of the living jazz legends using a 1950s Rolleiflex. To create his intimate images, Calderón photographed his sitters in their homes, with the musicians surrounded by instruments, objects, and memorabilia important to them. These striking portraits are part of the chronicle of Seattle’s remarkable jazz history and the history of American music.
Object number2022.32.1
ProvenanceThe artist; purchased from artist by Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2022
Photo CreditPhoto: Scott Leen
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, American Art: The Stories We Carry, Oct. 20, 2022 - ongoing.Published ReferencesDe Barros, Paul. Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle. Seattle, Washington: Sasquatch Books, 1993.
Credit LineGeneral Acquisition Fund
Dimensions16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
MediumSilver gelatin print
Photo: Scott Leen
Eduardo Calderón
negative 1988, printed 2022
Object number: 2022.32.3
Photo: Scott Leen
Eduardo Calderón
negative 1989, printed 2022
Object number: 2022.32.2
Eduardo Calderón
1983
Object number: 83.104
Quarry
Eduardo Calderón
1981
Object number: 96.31
La Aguadita
Eduardo Calderón
1991
Object number: 96.32
Umbrella
Eduardo Calderón
1992
Object number: 96.33
Illusion Buster
Eduardo Calderón
1994
Object number: 96.34
St. Sulpice
Eduardo Calderón
1994
Object number: 96.35
Precarious
Eduardo Calderón
1994
Object number: 96.36
Eduardo Calderón
1990
Object number: 2000.170
Photo: Paul Macapia
1964
Object number: 2006.55