HAPPY NEW YEAR --"SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT, AND NEVER BROUGHT TO MIND?"

To wish everyone a Happy New Year the library has an exhibit of memorabilia from the Era of the Big Bands (1930s and 1940s).

During that time it was common for band masters and performers to send autographed pictures of themselves or their bands to fans who requested them. Sometimes prsonalized letters were included. It was the time of such greats as Benny Boodman, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie,  Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller Gene Krupka, Artie Shaw, Guy Lombardo and many others.

Lumbardo in particular would play for the dinner dances on New Year's Eve and became famous for his orchestration of the ancient Scottish song/poem "Auld Lang Syne" , thought to be by updated by Robert Burns. Lombardo and his band in particular would send Christmas cards to fans from their New York City Fifth Avenue office that formed a pop-up silouette of the orchestra.

The display of letters and signed photographs are from the collection of the late William F. Leonelli.  He and his 3 brothers ran a small after-school record shop and would request the memorabilia for the store displays. He was the grandfather of Michael '87 and John '90 Stevens.