The Archives
The Bix Museum is home to the largest collection of professional resources and artifacts relating to Bix Beiderbecke and his family located right here in the Quad Cities.
Location of Archive
Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center
321 N. Main Street
Davenport, IA 52801-1490
Coming Soon
The Archives are currently going through the process of being digitized, and will be made available publicly once the project is completed. In the meantime, visit the Davenport Library’s website here to get in contact with a representative at the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center to schedule a time to see pieces from the archive or to request information.
Letter 9-year-old Bix wrote to his mother in 1912 asking for a nickel.
Highlights of the Archives
The museum also has acquired the extensive Phil and Linda Evans/Scott Black collection. This vast resource, unlike any other in existence, represents Mr. Evans's lifelong quest to find and document the reminiscences of anyone who knew Bix, or was in any way connected. It includes many hundreds of letters, tape-recorded interviews, photographs, newspaper clippings and documents. The material will be archived and made available to scholars from around the world.
Scrapbooks belonging to Howdy Quicksell and George Johnson, featuring many unpublished photos and documents.
Elizabeth Beiderbecke-Hart and the Beiderbecke family archives, including artifacts, Bix’s letters, and photographs.
To view our full archives repository, visit the resource here Collection: Phil and Linda Evans/Scott Black Collection & Elizabeth Beiderbecke Hart Collection from Bix Museum | ArchivesSpace Public Interface (davenportlibrary.com)