Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Ted Williams (1925-2009) first heard jazz on the radio as a youngster in the 1930s in Wichita, Kansas. The sounds of Earl Hines, Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway broadcast from Chicago’s legendary Grand Terrace Ballroom inspired him and in the late 1940s, Williams merged his love of music and photography and moved to Chicago where he captured unguarded photographic studies of some of the era’s greatest jazz musicians.
His work appeared in major international publications including Time, Newsweek, Look, Playboy and Ebony. His coverage of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival landed him a spectacular 21-page layout in Down Beat magazine. Williams was active on the jazz scene from the late 1940s until the late 1970s. He photographed many of the greats in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong. Williams’ historic archive runs to more than 100,000 images and comprises perhaps the most intimate and complete collection of Jazz’s greatest musicians at work, rest and play.
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Johnny Frigo, Lurlean Hunter and Johnny Griffin
L-R: American jazz violinist and bassist, Johnny Frigo, singer Lurlean Hunter and bop and hard bop saxophonist, Johnny Griffin (saxophone) on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue, IL for DownBeat magazine.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Davis and Coltrane
American jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane play together on stage at the Blue Note jazz bar in Chicago, IL, USA, 1950s.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Martin Luther King
Dr. Martin Luther King makes a speech at the ‘Illinois Rally for Civil Rights’ at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, US, June 21, 1964. The same day of the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Ella Fitzgerald
A portrait of American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella, performing on Ken Nordine’s television show, Chicago, US, 1961.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Freedom
1964
Crowds congregate before attending a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King at the ‘Illinois Rally for Civil Rights’ at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, US, June 21, 1964. The same day, murders of Civil Rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
An avid lover of jazz music, Ted Williams combined this affinity with his love for photography, notably photographing studies of famous jazz musicians in the 1940’s. This image is a page out of history, but a slightly different beat for Williams, as it depicts individuals attending a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech in Chicago. However, it is no question that the history of jazz is black history, and so the thematic elements of Williams’ work overlaps perfectly to bring us a poignant image of what the Civil Rights Movement stood for. The ‘Freedom’ button on the back of the woman’s dress brilliantly epitomizes the idealisms of MLK and his activism, while also shining a light on the life of a black person in America during the 1960’s. Aligning with the themes of social justice and Civil Rights, this photograph tells a story that we are proud to exhibit.
Available sizes:
- 12 x 16 inches
- 16 x 20 inches
- 20 x 24 inches
- 30 x 40 inches
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Chicago Life, April 26, 1951
A group of people welcome General MacArthur on an official parade celebrated in Chicago on April 26, 1951.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Annie Ross and Count Basie
British-American jazz singer Annie Ross sings alongside Count Basie and his band during the syndicated television series, ‘Playboy’s Penthouse’ taped at WBKB-TV, Chicago, IL, October 1959.
Available size options with and without framing are below;
Estate Stamped Prints
- 12" x 16"
- 16" x 20"
- 20" x 24"
- 30" x 40"
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.