Della Perrone Photographs

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Professional Photography

Family Photography

Audiovisual Materials



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Finding Aid for Della Perrone Photographs, 1945-2015 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Scott Schwartz

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Collection Overview

Title: Della Perrone Photographs, 1945-2015Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 12/9/140

Primary Creator: Perrone, Della

Extent: 3.5 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized in three series: Series 1, Music Photography, which is organized in two subseries: Sub-series 1: Studio Photography and Promotional Work, and Sub-series 2, Stage and Candid Photography; Series 2, Family Photography; and Series 3, Audiovisual Materials.

Date Acquired: 12/22/2014. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Music, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, Rock Music, Rock musicians United States

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of photographs, negatives, and film slides documenting Della Perrone's candid and studio photography with several Champaign-Urbana musicians in the 1980s, such as Adrian Belew, The Bears, The Rave, The Martyrs, Steps, Nick Rudd and Turning Curious, Nix 86, and The Elvis Brothers, as well as national acts including The Ramones, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and U2. Outside her studio, Perrone captured performances at local venues including Mabel's, University of Illinois Auditorium, Virginia Theatre, Chico's, Panama Red's and the Aragon Ballroom. A selection of these photographs were displayed during the exhibition "Live from the Crossroads: A Snapshot of Urbana-Champaign's Local Music Scene 1981-1986" that was held at the University of Illinois' Sousa Archives and Center for American Music between 2013 and 2014. The collection also includes audiovisual recordings from the 1980s, and family photographs and negatives from the 1920s-1940s.

Biographical Note

Della Perrone's career as a photographer is closely tied to the Urbana-Champaign community where she grew up, and is tied closely to its vital local music scene.  Perrone's maternal grandparents, mother, father, and two uncles were photography enthusiasts for decades and made frequent use of their cameras to capture family events and other activities within their community.  When Della was in her early 20's she purchased her first camera in the summer of 1980, a CanonAT1, and continued the family's photographic legacy. Perrone first photographed the Elvis Brothers at Chico's on September 26, 1981, and the members of the band immediately felt that her photographs captured the essence of their music ensemble at the time.  According to Perrone, her photographic approach was a match to the band. The following month, the Elvis Brothers asked her to take promotional photos of them, and on October 22, Della set up her first studio shoot in her home.    Between 1981 and 1989, Perrone photographed live concerts of local bands and national acts performing in such Urbana-Champaign venues as Chico's, Mabel's, and the University Auditorium, as well as other performance spaces throughout the Midwest.  The musicians and music groups she photographed included Adrian Belew and the Bears, John Kellogg and Combo Audio, Captain Rat, George Faber, The Rave/Invaders, Smokehouse, Mystery Dots, B-Lovers, the Vertebrats, Nix 86, U2, the Ramones, Jason & the Scorchers, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Brian Setzer, and Wendy O. Williams. Throughout these years, Perrone's photographs artfully capture the on-stage, and sometimes back-stage, and off-stage exploits of these groups' performances and provide a vivid illustration of Urbana-Champaign's dynamic music scene.

Subject/Index Terms

Music
Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
Rock Music
Rock musicians United States

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Additional items were acquired on January 23, 2015; March 13, 2015; October 5, 2016; and March 7, 2019.

Acquisition Source: Della Perrone

Acquisition Method: Gift


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Professional Photography],
[Series 2: Family Photography],
[Series 3: Audiovisual Materials],
[All]

Series 1: Professional PhotographyAdd to your cart.
Sub-Series 1: Studio Photography and Promotional WorkAdd to your cart.
Box 3Add to your cart.
Folder 1: The Bears mounted studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: The Bears studio photographs and promotional materials, 1986Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 3: The Elvis Brothers studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: The Elvis Brothers mounted studio photographsAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: The Martyrs mounted studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Nix 86 studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: The Rave studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Nick Rudd and the Big Maybe studio photographs and promo materials, 1986-1988Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Schoolyard Truce studio photographs and poster, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Smokehouse studio photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: Steps studio photographs, 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Della Perrone self-portrait, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 13: Strange Parade studio photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Box 4Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Anvil Chorus mounted studio photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Andy Baylor, A Clockwork Orange session, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Elvis Brothers promotional materials, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes newsclippings, handwritten notes, and a button.
Folder 9: Matt Brandabur and Chris Courtney from The Shells, with Della, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes Matt Brandabur, formerly of The Vertebrats.
Folder 11: Newsclippings and promotional materials, 1981-1987Add to your cart.
Includes clippings and articles for Adrian Belew and The Bears, Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, Nix 86, The Rave, Stiff Kitty, and The Vertebrats.
Box 5Add to your cart.
Folder 2: The Bears contact sheets and negatives, 1985Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 3: Nick Rudd photographs and negative, ca. 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Mark Rubel photographs and negatives, ca. 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 5: John Richardson photographs and negatives, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: The Rave photographs, contact sheets, and negatives, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Turning Curious studio photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Box 6Add to your cart.
Folder 1: The Elvis Brothers mounted photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: The Bears matted photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: The Elvis Brothers mounted poster, authographed, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: The Martyrs poster, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Nix 86 mounted photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: The Rave mounted photograph, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Turning Curious matted photograph, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Box 7Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Studio/Promotional Negatives, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes negatives of: Combo Audio, Cyclorama, 1/26-27/1982; Combo Audio, 1/1982; EB's Outdoor-night, 11/6/1985; Turing Curious, ca. 1980s; Elvis Brother Video Shoot, Afternoon Session, ca. 1980s; Elvis Brothers, Studio 4 and 5, 5/18/82; The Birds,  ca. 1980s
Folder 2: Elvis Brothers Studio Slides, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Elvis Brothers negatives and contact sheets, studio, May 18, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Elvis Brothers contact sheets, studio, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: Elvis Brothers contact sheets, Virginia Theater, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Studio work shot in the lobby of the Virginia Theater.
Box 14Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Studio photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes images of Turning Curious, The Bears, and The Elvis Brothers.
Folder 2: Studio negatives, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes negatives of The Elvis Brothers.
Folder 3: The Elvis Brothers at the train station - matted photo, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Color slides - Elvis Brothers at Urbana Cinema, March 31, 1982Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 2: Stage and Candid PhotographyAdd to your cart.
Box 1, folders 1 through 18 contain photographs that were on display during the exhibition "Live from the Crossroads: A Snapshot of Urbana-Champaign's Local Music Scene 1981-1986" that was held at the University of Illinois' Sousa Archives and Center for American Music between 2013 and 2014.
Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Adrian Belew's Volleyball Game, 1985Add to your cart.
2 prints
Folder 2: Adrian Belew, Indianapolis, 2011Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Adrian Belew, Mabel's, 1985Add to your cart.
Folder 4: U2, University Auditorium, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 5: The Bears, Mabel's, 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Tom Broeske, University Auditorium, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Virginia Theatre, 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Joey Ramone, University Auditorium, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Ramones crowd, University Auditorium, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Dee Dee Ramone, University Auditorium, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 11: The Elvis Brothers, Chico's, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Rob and Brad Elvis, Studio One, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 13: The Elvis Brothers, promotional photographs, 1981Add to your cart.
Two prints
Folder 14: Graham Elvis and friend, Cinema Theater, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Brad Elvis, Panama Red's, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Elvis Brothers, Aragon Ballroom, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 17: The Elvis Brothers, Virginia Theater, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 18: The Elvis Brothers with Tom and Frank Merlo, Chico's, 1985Add to your cart.
Folder 19: Faith Scarbrough of Seventeen Sisters at the High Dive, 2013Add to your cart.
Folder 20: Kathy Harden performing with the Impalas at the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival, 2013Add to your cart.
Folder 21: Brandon Washington with Beat Kitchen at the High Dive, 2014Add to your cart.
Folder 22: Kelly McMorris of Sun Stereo at the Canopy Club, 2014Add to your cart.
Folder 23: Christine Marie Janak of Sun Stereo at the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival, 2014Add to your cart.
Folder 24: Brad Elvis performing with the Romantics at US Cellular Coliseum, 2015Add to your cart.
Folder 25: Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes at the Virginia Theater, 2015Add to your cart.
Box 2Add to your cart.
Folder 1: The Bears stage and candid photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets stage photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: The Clash stage photographs, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 4: The Elvis Brothers stage and candid photographs, negatives, and contact sheets, 1982-1984Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes shows at Mabel's in Champaign, IL and at Confetti's in Peoria, IL.
Folder 5: The Elvis Brothers mounted stage photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Fabulous Thunderbirds stage photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 7: Fabulous Thunderbirds mounted stage photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: The Ramones stage photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: The Rave stage photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Brian Setzer stage photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Double Trouble at the Virginia, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: U2 stage photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Box 4Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Combo Audio/Tom Broeske stage and candid photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: The Edge stage photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
The Edge included Dody Cosmedy, TIm Donaldson, and Tim Frazier.
Folder 6: J. Geils Band/Peter Wolf mounted stage photographs, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Nix 86 record label showcase, Chicago, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Rich Denhart, sound engineer, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes black and white 8x10, sound board at Mabel's; black and white photo, sound board at Private Audio; black and white 3x5, backstage at The Clash.
Folder 10: Turning Curious and The dB's, candid photograph, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Box 5Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Adrian Belew, Twang Bar Tour, Mabel's, August 29, 1983Add to your cart.
Box 7Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Stage/Candid Negatives (1 of 2), ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes negatives of: Faber, Culmination, 10/5/81; WPGU, Faber, Combo Audio AGFA 400, 8/30/81; WPGU, Captain Rat, the Rivettes, George Faber, Iford 400, 8/30/81; George Faber (Mabel's), AGFA 400, 10/5/81; George Faber (Mabel's)/Elvis Brothers (Rafaelle's), HP5 800, 10/15/81; George Faber (Mabel's), HD5 1250, 10/5/81; George Faber (Mabel's), HP5 1250, 10/5/81; George Faber, Culmination; WPGU, Captain Rat, Faber, Combo Audio, AGFA 400, 8/30/81; Captain Rat, HP5 7600, 12/81; Faber (Mabel's), Faber/Elvis Brothers, 10/18/81
Folder 4: Stage/Candid Negatives (2 of 2), ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes negatives of Mrs. Gates B-Day, Volleyball, Tod, 9/3-11/1985; Adrian Belew, 8/29/1983; Belew, Mabel's, 8/29/1983; Georgia Satellites/King, 2/2/1982; Georgia Satellites, Mabel's, 1982; Elvis Brothers, The Clash, Aragon, 8/12/1982; Mystery Dots, 12/23/1983; Jason & the Scorchers, ca. 1980s; Wendy O' Williams, ca. 1980s; Wendy O'Williams, Robin Traver, Mabel's, ca. 1980s; Robin Traver, ca. 1980s; Champaign, Bradley's, 1985; Chicos, 7/4/1982; Combo Audio, infrared, undiluted, 4/1982; Stevie Ray, Virginia, Bears, 2/1986
Folder 5: Elvis Brothers Stage Slides, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Contact Sheets, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Smokehouse Stage Slides, 1987Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 8: Elvis Brothers negatives and contact sheets, Mabel's, Feb. 12, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Elvis Brothers negatives and contact sheets, Mabel's, Feb. 28, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Elvis Brothers negatives and contact sheet, Pia's, March 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Elvis Brothers contact sheets, stage, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Folder 15: Candid negatives - West Side Park, Champaign, IL, ca. 1981Add to your cart.
Includes negatives of Angus Thomas (bassist for Combo Audio), wife Shari Douglas and daughter Sunea; John Kellogg of Combo Audio (with baseball bat); Adrian Belew and oldest son Ernie; Rich Denhart; Phil Strang; and either Tim Vear or Cliff Mayhew.
Box 14Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Preston Hubbard of The Fabulous Thunderbirds - matted photo, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Color slides, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes Elvis Brothers, Della Perrone, and group shots.
Folder 7: Contact sheets, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Elvis Brothers, Della Perrone, and group shots.
Folder 8: Performance photos, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and The Elvis Brothers.
Folder 9: Performance negatives, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.
Includes the Elvis Brothers, Combo Audio, The Bears, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Last Gentlemen, Brian Setzer, Adrian Belew, Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, J. Geils Band, and The Ramones; and venues such as The Virginia Theater, Mabel's, Chico's, and Foellinger Auditorium.
Folder 10: Candid photographs and negatives - holiday parties, ca. 1980sAdd to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Professional Photography],
[Series 2: Family Photography],
[Series 3: Audiovisual Materials],
[All]

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