Grand Emporium Collection

This collection features publicity photos of live performances by the many performers who played at this iconic Kansas City venue. Led by Roger Naber, George Myers and Herb Palmer, the reputed nightclub hosted some 7,400 shows and consistently earned top honors nationally, including "Best Blues Club In America" in 1989 and 1991 from the Blues Foundation in Memphis. The Grand Emporium was sold in 2004 amid much fanfare, culminating with a Memorial Day blowout.

Items in Collection: 2,341

Topics

Advertising & Media

Asian American History & Representation

Indigenous History & Representation

Latinx History & Representation

Jazz, Big Band, & Music Industry

Kansas City History

1 - 5 of 5 items

The Mahotella Queens are three black South African female mbaqanga musicians in traditional clothing, dance on the Grand Emporium stage performing for an audience whose backs of their heads are in the...

Date Published

1991

1994

Percussionist Mamadou Diabate from Burkina Faso, West African, wearing traditional clothing while holding a guitar as he sits behind different sizes of hand drums and beside a balafon.

Date Published

2001

2004

A guitarist with Four Stars of Zaire wearing traditional clothing, smiles as he plays a guitar.

Date Published

1981

1990

Pascal Bokar, a French African man who plays AfroBlueGrazz music, smiles as he holds a guitar. He wears blue traditional African clothing.

Date Published

1994

1996

Nigerian singer and guitarist Sonny Okosuns stands with his hands shaped into claws by his shoulders as he wears traditional clothing. Printed in the margin below the photograph, "Sonny Okosuns...

Date Published

1991

Digital Collections

Grand Emporium Collection

Mahotella Queens and the band

Mamadou Diabate

Member of Four Stars of Zaire

Pascal Bokar

Sonny Okosuns

Types (Collection)

Genres (Collection)

Time Periods (Collection)

Subjects (Collection)

Subjects, Geographic (Collection)

Subjects, People (Collection)