Forrest "War" Perkins, L'Tanya, Herb Jeffries and Melba Foppe, Los Angeles, 1940s

Item Overview

Title

Forrest "War" Perkins, L'Tanya, Herb Jeffries and Melba Foppe, Los Angeles, 1940s

Date Created

1940s

Date

1940/1949

Language

No linguistic content

Collection

Walter L. Gordon, Jr./William C. Beverly, Jr. Collection

Notes

Summary

Herb Jeffries (1913-2014) was a jazz musician and actor.
LaTanya Griffin (or "L'Tanya," or "L'Tanya Martinique") was a society woman, a model and a fashion designer. In her early twenties, she was awarded a contract by the Guild Studios to design gowns for Ida Lapino. She was contracted to with the Edward D. Wood Production company to design gowns for 20 of its films in 1954, making her the first African American designer to have a contract with a Hollywood film studio. She and Earl Griffin divorced in 1949.
War Perkins was a radio announcer who also worked as a master of ceremonies. He was a partner in Roy Milton's Miltone label, and ran a pressing plant that pressed the Roy Milton/Miltone series of labels. In addition, he acquired the Mosby & Spikes record shop. Perkins appeared in two movies: Slapsie Maxie's (1939) and Sullivan's Travel (1941, as a churchgoer) (1941). After WWII he sold the record shop, went to the Philippines and set up a pressing plant in Manilla.
Melba Foppe was a secretary for many years to Walter L. Gordon, Jr.

Description

L to R: unidentified woman, Forrest "War" Perkins, LaTanya Griffin, Herb Jeffries, and Melba Foppe
All information concerning the content and description of the image was provided by Walter Gordon.

Physical Description

Extent

1 photograph : b&w

Keywords

Genre

Black-and-white photographs

Names

Perkins, War
Foppe, Melba
Jeffries, Herb
Griffin, L'Tanya, 1919-1996

Location

California--Los Angeles

Resource type

still image

Subjects

People

African American jazz musicians--California--Los Angeles
Secretaries--California--Los Angeles
African American actors--California--Los Angeles