Mose Scarlett fonds
Finding Aid
Mose Scarlett fonds. 1st accrual. 1965 – 2019; 1.39 metres.
Extent: 1.39m of textual records, approx. 263 photographs (approx. 162 digital), 5 negatives, 6 floppy disks, 22 DVDs, 38 CDs, 18 cassette tapes, and 3 mini data cartridges
This is the first, and presumably only, accrual of the Mose Scarlett fonds. Fonds consists primarily of materials documenting Scarlett’s music career, which spanned five decades. This includes contracts, travel plans for tours, performance programmes, promotional materials, photographs, recordings, sheet music, and other materials. There is also a small amount of personal materials, including correspondence, chiefly with singer-songwriter and artist Mendelson Joe, letters to the Canadian government, drafts of op-eds, and other materials. The fonds consists of 5 series:
Series 1: Personal Materials, 1979 – 2019, 16 cm.
Series 2: Promotional Materials, ca. 1970 – 2016, 6.5 cm.
Series 3: Contracts and Performance Materials, 1965 – 2015, 41.5 cm.
Series 4: Audio-Visual Materials, Digital Photographs, and Ephemera, ca. 1983 – 2017, 75 cm.
Series 5: Oversized Posters and Newspapers, ca. 1970 – 2016, 1 box.
Series: Personal Materials
Box 1
F.1 General correspondence, 1979 – 2018. Contains letters and cards, predominantly one-offs with few repeat senders.
F.2 Correspondence, Mendelson Joe, 1980 – 2005.
F.3 Funerals and Deaths, ca. 2005 – 2019. Includes Scarlett’s obituary.
F.4 Letters to Government, 1989 – 1995.
F.5 Opinion Pieces Written by Scarlett, n.d. Handwritten and typescript with handwritten annotations.
F.6 Cards made by Scarlett and Family, n.d.
F.7 Postcards, n.d. Appear to have been collected by Scarlett during travels.
F.8 Finances and Pay Stubs, 1982 – 2019.
F.9 Jackie Washington Materials, ca. 1991 – 2009. Contains programmes for Jackie Washington Day, tombstone mock-ups for Washington, and a letter from Mose to Friends of Jackie Washington Committee.
F.10 Association Publications, 2001 – 2019. Contains the publications of associations related to Scarlett.
F.11 Agendas, 2001 – 2002.
F.12 Agenda, 2003.
F.13 Contents of Mose’s Guitar Case. Materials in the original order upon Mose’s passing.
F.14 Personal Photographs, ca. 2000. Contains 17 photographs, 4” x 6” or smaller, of Mose’s cats and a jam session with other musicians in someone’s home.
Series 2: Promotional Materials
Series contains materials used by Scarlett to promote his
Box 2
F.1 Handouts and promotional quotes, n.d.
F.2 Logo and handout templates, n.d.
F.3 “Mose Scarlett Plays Himself” prototypes, n.d.
F.4 Guitar lessons ads and templates, ca. 2006.
F.5 Poster templates, n.d.
F.6 Reviews of Scarlett, 2003 – 2004.
F.7 Newspaper clippings and photocopies, 1970 – 2016. Predominately event notices and reviews of Scarlett.
F.8 Promotional Photographs, n.d. Contains 5 negatives and 13 colour photographs.
Series 3: Contracts and Performance Materials
F.9 C.A.R.E. Program songbooks, 1979. Contains songs for Scarlett to sing for seniors.
F.10 Australia and Hong Kong tours, ca. 2000 – 2010.
F.11 Australia and Hong Kong tours, ca. 2000 – 2010.
F.12 Australia and Hong Kong tours, ca. 2000 – 2010.
F.13 United Kingdom tours, 1978 – 2006.
F.14 Eaglewood Earth Festival, 1993.
F.15 Vancouver, 2003.
F.16 Jeff Healy, Mose Scarlett, and Marty Grosz concert, 2004.
F.17 Concert Information, 2006.
F.18 Home Country Festival, 2008.
F.19 Travel Documents, ca. 2000 – 2010.
Box 3
F.1 Performance programmes, 1995 – 2003.
F.2 Performance programmes, 2004 – 2015.
F.3 Invoices for CDs from Borealis, 1994 – 2014.
F.4 Performance Photographs, ca. 1970 – 2015. Contains 87 photographs from performances and tours of Scarlett’s. Photographs include Jackie Washington, Tony Quarrington, Ken Whiteley, and others. Dates are approximate.
F.5 Album Stats for “Stalling for Time,” ca. 1981.
F.6 Songs Written by Scarlett, 1965 – 1978. Originals and photocopies.
F.7 Compositions by Scarlett, n.d. Contains songs written by others, but which Scarlett has written his own chords. Contains both photocopies and handwritten notes.
F.8 Song lyrics, chords, and charts, n.d. Contains songs written by others, written in Scarlett’s hand, as well as chords he composed.
F.9 Charts by Tony Quarrington for Mose Scarlett, n.d. Charts written in Marg Stowe’s hand.
F.10 Charts by Tony Quarrington, 1997 – 1998.
F.11 The Jackie Washington songbook, ca. 1964 – 1976.
F.12 Music from Al Gladstone, n.d. Photocopies.
Box 4
F.1 National Library of Canada requests for copies of Scarlett’s recordings, 1995.
F.2 Poetry written by Scarlett. 1978 – 2013. Predominantly written under Scarlett’s penname J.P. Mosely.
F.3 Scarlett’s submission to the Leacock Heritage Poetry Festival, 1990 – 1993.
F.4 Contracts, 1968 and 1969.
F.5 Contracts, 1970 – 1975.
F.6 Contracts, 1976.
F.7 Contracts, 1977.
F.8 Contracts, 1978.
F.9 Contracts, 1979.
F.10 Contracts, 1980.
F.11 Contracts, 1981 – 1985.
F.12 Contracts, 1986 – 1990.
F.13 Contracts, 1992 – 2000.
F.14 Contracts, 2002 – 2003.
F.15 Blank contract for Mose Scarlett Industries, n.d.
Series 4: Audio-Visual Materials, Digital Photographs, and Ephemera
Box 5
23 compact disks containing approx. 162 photographs
22 DVDs containing videos, including:
“I Want to Be Happy: The Jackie Washington Story,” 2007.
“Jackie Washington Tribute, 2009.”
Tina and Mose Benefit at Hugh’s Room, 28 April 2011.
“Mose Benefit Part I – Aug. 26.”
Mose and Jeff [Healey] CD release, video, n.d.
Jeff Healey and Mose Scarlett and CBC, n.d.
Mose’s Birthday Disc 2, 1996 (50).
“Brews, Blues, Barbeques,” 2005.
“Dr. Jack Tribute,” 2010.
3 promotional DVDs, ca. 2003.
“Q&A with Mose Scarlett,” n.d.
“Mose and Jeff CD release,” video, n.d.
“Tina’s Movie,” n.d.
6 floppy disks, 4 containing images, 2 unknown.
Box 6
38 Compact Disks containing music, including:
Untitled, Thomas Handy and Mose Scarlett, 25 May 1981.
“Where Old Friends Meet,” Ken Whiteley, Jackie Washington, and Mose Scarlett, 1991.
“Sitting on a Rainbow,” Ken Whiteley, Jackie Washington, and Mose Scarlett, 2003.
“Canada Council Tour Grant,” Ken Whiteley, Jackie Washington, and Mose Scarlett, 2000.
“Precious Seconds,” Mose Scarlett, 2002. Also 6 disks with incomplete versions of final.
“The Songs of Tony Quarrington,” 2017. Scarlett played on the recording.
“Canuckian,” Mendelson Joe, n.d.
4 albums on cassette tapes:
“The Fundamental Things,” Mose Scarlett, 1996.
“Acoustic Eclectic,” Ken Whiteley, 1995.
“Rose Without Thorns,” Greg Hastings, ca.1983.
“Spoiled brat land,” Mendelson Joe, 1998.
3 mini data cartridges, n.d.
Box 7
14 cassette mix tapes
Box 8
Box contains lanyards and nametags from Scarlett’s concerts, tickets from concerts he attended, and buttons.
Box 9
Contains many notes written by Scarlett, almost exclusively on the insides of cigarette packages. Contents of notes vary widely, and range from song lyrics to personal reminders, to phone numbers.
Series 5: Oversized Newspapers and Posters
Box 10
Contains posters and poster templates used by Scarlett to promote various performances, both solo and with others, chiefly Jackie Washington and Ken Whiteley. Newspaper clippings often relate to reviews or endorsements for Scarlett’s performances and recordings.
