This week the good news site The Attic put up a piece about a Great Day in Harlem.

They write:

“'The most iconic photograph in jazz history' was, like jazz itself, an improvisation.  Two dreamers at Esquire, needing a photo for their Golden Age of Jazz issue, decided to take a chance... 

Contacting club owners, the musicians’ union local, recording studios, and songwriters, Kane sent an open invitation with time and date.  10 a.m.  August 12.  Benton expected a dozen musicians might show.  But here they came. . . ”

What resulted was the stuff that magic's made out of: a photograph of all the living Jazz legends in New York City immortalized as a great day in Harlem. The issue containing this photo, others, and more features on the golden age of jazz was published the following January, in 1959. 

You're in luck... to take a look yourself... all you need is a San Francisco Public Library card!

The Esquire digital archive of all magazine content from 1933 to 2014 is available through the SFPL databases.

On view for you:  

Esquire January, 1959

Click the link above to view the collection of articles on The Golden Age of Jazz published in the issue.

For your viewing pleasure... the iconic photo that started it all! 

 FOUR DECADES OF JAZZ MUSICIANS

Looking for more recent Esquire content? Hop over to the portion of the database that provides content from 1996-present. Looking for a different magazine? Try our tool called Periodical Finder to locate it through the SFPL databases.