Institute for Arts and Media

Gordon Specs Powell

Gordon "Specs" Powell was a jazz musician who was hired as the first African American orchestra staff for the CBS network. Powell performed with such jazz luminaries as Billie Holiday, John Kirby, and Red Norvo during the height of the 52nd Street music scene in New York. Later in life, he retired and moved to Southern California, where he continued to pursue his interests in the arts, including photography. This small collection spans the years 1966 to 2001, with most materials created in the 1980s and the 1990s. The majority of the materials are negatives, prints, and contact sheets. Powell's professional portraits, Southern California events and music, and the sculpture of Tina Allen are prominently featured in this collection.

View the Powell (Gordon Specs) Photograph Collection finding aid on Online Archive of California