Jack W Davis Papers

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Graphic Design Records

Jack Davis Personal Papers



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Finding Aid for Jack W Davis Papers, 1918-1982, 2006 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

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Collection Overview

Title: Jack W Davis Papers, 1918-1982, 2006Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 26/20/197

Primary Creator: Davis, Jack W. (1945-)

Extent: 1.0 cubic feet

Date Acquired: 11/25/2014. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Alumni, Graphic Art, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of photographs, production art, flyers, posters, and a personal journal documenting the careers of Jack W. Davis (BFA Graphic Design, 1969) as a musician and graphic artist in Champaign, Illinois. Includes graphic art produced for local talent agencies Blytham Limited, Irving Azoff and Associates, and Harry Washburn Management. Of particular note are concert posters for Jethro Tull, REO Speedwagon, and Black Sabbath.

Biographical Note

Jack Warren Davis earned a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1969.  Soon after, Davis established himself as a graphic designer in Champaign, creating graphics and logos for local businesses, bands, and University units, notably creating the Chief Illiniwek logo for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics in 1980.

During and after his undergraduate studies, Davis played bass guitar with local rock bands including Lothar and the Handpeople, the W.C. Fields, the Ice Blue Secret, and Uncle Otto's General Store. One of his most recognizable bands, Lothar and the Hand People, formed in 1965 while Davis was temporarilly living in Orchard Downs after his appartment at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house was destroyed in a fire. Davis and his roomate, Bill Geist, named the band after a character in the comic Mandrake the Magician. The group initially formed as a cover band that played at various fraternity and sorority parties and consisted of Bill Fiorio (lead guitar), Rick Bach (rhythm guitar), Steve Kniss (rhythm guitar), Lee Neher (vocals), Frank Eitler (percussion), and Davis (left-handed bass). During a rush event in 1965, Davis spoke with a highscool friend and prospective initiate, Tom Flye, who eventually formed his own band in Denver, Colorado, which was also called Lothar and the Hand People. Davis's Band would stay active through 1967.

In addition to his musical interests, Davis also created graphics for his own bands and for bands like REO Speedwagon and Jethro Tull. His skill as a graphic designer led him to design for several local talent agencies, including: Blytham Limited, Irving Azoff and Associates, and Harry Washburn Management.

Subject/Index Terms

Alumni
Graphic Art
Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Two photographs acquired July 22, 2024.

Acquisition Source: Jack W. Davis

Acquisition Method: Gift

Related Materials: See also Digital Library image ID 0003228


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Graphic Design Records, 1968-1982, 2006],
[Series 2: Jack Davis Personal Papers, 1918-1977],
[All]

Series 2: Jack Davis Personal Papers, 1918-1977Add to your cart.
Consists of photographs and sound recordings documenting rock bands based in Urbana-Champaign.  Davis was bass guitarist for some of the bands documented, including Lothar and the Handpeople, Ice Blue Secret, the W. C. Fields, and Uncle Otto's General Store.  In addition there is published sheet music that was inherited by Davis from his grandmother.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 10: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 11: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 12: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 13: Lothar and the Handpeople Negatives, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: Lothar and the Handpeople Photograph Cutouts, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 15: Lothar and the Handpeople, Photocopies of Photographs, 1965-1967Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Uncle Otto's General Store Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 17: Uncle Otto's General Store Artwork and Photographs, ca. 1968Add to your cart.
Folder 18: The Ice Blue Secret, Photocopies of Photographs, Summer 1967Add to your cart.
Folder 19: Bob Graham, Red Lion, Bloomington, Photocopy of Photograph, 1970sAdd to your cart.
Folder 20: Photocopies of Band Photographs, 1965-66, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 21: Published Sheet Music, 1918-1963Add to your cart.
Item 1: A Little Birch Canoe and You, 1918Add to your cart.
Composed by Roberts and Callahan
Item 2: Fascinating Rhythm, 1924Add to your cart.
Composed by Gershwin and Levine
Item 3: Peter Gunn (Theme Music from the T.V. Series), 1958Add to your cart.
Composed by Henry Mancini
Item 4: Catch a Falling Star, 1957Add to your cart.
Composed by Vance and Pockriss
Item 5: Bumble Boogie, 1946Add to your cart.
Composed by Fina (Busch, arr)
Item 6: Nola, 1959Add to your cart.
Composed by Arndt and Skylar
Item 7: Harlem Nocturne, 1950Add to your cart.
Composed by Hagen
Item 8: A Taste of Honey, 1960Add to your cart.
Composed by Marlow and Scott
Item 9: Taking a Chance on Love, 1940Add to your cart.
Composed by Duke, Latouche, and Fetter
Item 10: The Marine's Hymn, 1942Add to your cart.
Arranged by Schaum
Item 11: Wives and Lovers, 1963Add to your cart.
Composed by Bacharach and David
Item 12: Theme from "A Summer Place", 1959Add to your cart.
Composed by Steiner
Item 13: Boogie Woogie Bugler, 1944Add to your cart.
Composed by Black
Item 14: The Caissons Go Rolling Along (Song of the U.S. Field Artillery), 1945Add to your cart.
Arranged by Schaum
Item 15: The U.S. Air Force, 1939Add to your cart.
Composed by Crawford (Eckstein, arr)
Item 16: I Hear a Rhapsody, 1940Add to your cart.
Composed by Fragos, Baker, and Gasparre
Item 17: Patricia, It's Patricia, 1958Add to your cart.
Composed by Prado and Marcus
Item 18: Twilight Time, 1944Add to your cart.
Composed by Ram, Nevins, Nevins, and Dunn
Item 19: My Happiness, 1933Add to your cart.
Composed by Bergantine and Peterson
Item 20: Mack the Knife (from "The Threepenny Opera"), 1928Add to your cart.
Composed by Weill and Blitzstein
Item 21: 77 Sunset Strip, 1959Add to your cart.
Composed by David and Livingston
Item 22: I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, 1935Add to your cart.
Composed by Ahlert and Young
Item 23: Take Five, 1960Add to your cart.
Composed by Desmond
Item 24: Colonel Bogey March, 1958Add to your cart.
Composed by Alford
Item 25: American Patrol March, 1942Add to your cart.
Composed by Meacham (Eckstein, arr)
Item 26: Ballad of Davey Crockett, 1954Add to your cart.
Composed by Bruns and Blackburn
Item 27: Fools Rush In, 1940Add to your cart.
Composed by Bloom and Mercer
Item 28: Zing a Little Zong!, 1952Add to your cart.
Composed by Warren and Robin
Box 2Add to your cart.
Item 1: Lothar and the Handpeople, ca. 1966-1967Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
1/4" audio tape.
Item 8: Freewheelin', Freewheelin', 1979Add to your cart.
Force Records. 12" phonograph disc. 11 tracks.
Item 9: Thirsty or Not...Choose Your Flavor, Coalkitchen, 1977Add to your cart.
Epic Records/CBS, Inc. 12" phonograph disc. 10 tracks.
Box 3Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Published Sheet Music, 1918Add to your cart.
Item 1: Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight (For Her Daddy Over There), 1918Add to your cart.
Composed by Jerome, Lewis, and Young
Item 2: Girls of France, 1918Add to your cart.
Composed by Bryan, Leslie, and Ruby
Folder 2: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.

Mounted photo of Lothar and the Handpeople.

Additional two photographs acquired 7/22/24. Photograph 1: Jack Davis, Gary Henderson (who worked for Emerson Piano and Organ and sometimes roadied for the group), and Frank Eiter, the group's drummer, at the Red Lion, onstage on break, eating pizza. Photograph 2: Another shot from the train series of Lothar and the Handpeople. Information provided by Jack Davis.

Folder 3: Uncle Otto's General Store Photograph, 1966Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Lothar and the Handpeople Photographs, 1966Add to your cart.
Photographs by Jim Retzer.
Folder 5: Lothar and the Handpeople production art, undatedAdd to your cart.
Electronic Folder 1Add to your cart.
Item 1: Jack Davis Personal Journal, 1965-1968Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Filenames: 2015-2620197-01.tif thru 2015-2620197-060.tif; 2015-2620197-061.pdf

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Graphic Design Records, 1968-1982, 2006],
[Series 2: Jack Davis Personal Papers, 1918-1977],
[All]

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