Coon-Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra

Exterior view of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks waiting for a train at the Mattoon, Illinois train depot. According to Edmiston, this would be the group's first road trip. Identified as: Knapp, J. Thiell, Sanders, Musolino, Cory Adams (assistant tour manager), Birge, Richolson, Estep, and Linder (tour manager).

Microphone picture which says "Music Corporation of America presents Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks Orchestra." Contains small photo starting at top and going clockwise of: Russ Stout, Pop Estep, Joe Richolson, Bob Pope, Rex Downing, John Thiell, Harold Thiell, Floyd Estep and Joe Sanders and Carleton Coon in the center.

Exterior view of the band lined up on a rock somewhere in Indiana. Identified left to right: Harold Thiell, Carleton Coon, Russ Stout, Frank Estep, Bob Pope, John Thiell, Joe Sanders, Rex Downing, Joe Richolson, Floyd Estep, and John Coon. Taken while on tour.

Exterioir view of the back side of three men. Identified in Sanders scrapbook A as: "The Triple Threat - Stout, Downing & Pope." Location and date not given. Edmiston gives date as probably 1927.

Members of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks band are posed with their luggage beside a train car. Sanders in his scrapbook captions the photo: "The dirty dozen beside our palatial Burlington 'Toonerville' en route for a long hard ride of two miles--from Dubuque, Iowa, to E. Dubuque, Ill. This luxurious super-train, consisting of one coach, half baggage, half day coach, would have had a day off, but for us. We were the only passengers." The band's poster can be seen on the side of the train car. Edmiston in his book identifies from left: Rex Downing, Floyd Estep, Rex Stout, Bob Pope, Joe Sanders, Pop Estep, Linder (tour manager), J. Thiell, H. Thiell and Joe Richolson.

Identified in Edmiston's book as "Framed Nighthawk display for an engagement about late 1925." Identification clockwise from top-right: Sanders, H. Thiell, F. Estep, J. Thiell, Haid, Downing, Pope, Richolson, Pop Estep, and Coon.

View of some of the members of the Nighthawks waiting for their train at the Dubuque, Iowa, train station while on tour. Sanders in his scrapbook captions the photo: "Dubuque, Iowa. A very busy body of young men - working very hard at doing nothing."

Members of the Nighthawks tossing coins down at the railroad depot in Mattoon, Illinois. Identified by Edmiston as standing from left: Knapp, Sanders, Coon, and Richolson. Sanders in his scrapbook captions the photo: "This little game nearly landed us in jail."

Identified in Edmiston's book as "Joe's 'Nighthawk Pyramid,' depot in Iowa City, Iowa, about 20 September 1924." People are identified on top as: Dewey Birge (banjo), Orville Knapp (alto sax), John Thiell (tenor sax), Nick Musolino (trombone), Adams (asst. tour mgr.), Joe Richolson (trumpet). Middle from left: Hank Linder (tour mgr.), Joe Sanders (piano). Bottom from left: Harold Thiell (alto Sax), Carleton Coon (drums), and Frank "Pop" Estep (bass).

View of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks with suits on at Castle Farm, Cincinnati, Ohio, where the band played during May 1927. Identified in Edmiston's book - Back row: Joe Sanders, Carleton Coon; second row (from left): Pop Estep, Pope, Downing, and Stout; front row (from left): J. Thiell, F. Estep, H. Thiell, and Richolson.

View of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks posed at the Plantation Grille, Muehlebach Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri. Identified in Edmiston's book, standing: Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders, seated from left Kohlman, Nordberg, Estep, Williams, McLean, and J. Thiell.

Interior view of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks musical group with insert portraits of Carleton Coon on the left and Joe Sanders on the right. Location not given, perhaps Chicago. Identified by Fred Edmiston in his book as: standing - Coon on left and Sanders on right; seated - Musolino, Estep, Richolson, Haid, J. Thiell, Knapp, and H. Thiell. Photograph acquired by Edmiston from Harvey Rettberg.

Members of the Nighthawks standing on the corner awaiting transportation in Iowa City, Iowa. Edmiston identifies them from left to right: Richolson, Hank Linder (tour manager), Estep, J. Thiell, Musolino, others unidentified.

Joe Sanders at the piano, Carleton Coon by drums, and the rest of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks. Location not identified.

Exterior view of band lined up at what is believed to be the train station area in Niles, Michigan. Edmiston indicates that they did not play here but must have changed trains. Identified in Edmiston's book as, left to right: Haid, J. Thiell, Richolson, Sanders, Coon, Knapp, H. Thiell, Musolino, and Estep.

Interior view, Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, location not given. Identified on back by Fred Edmiston as: From left: Elmer Krebs, bass; Joe Sanders, piano; Carleton Coon, drums; Russ Stout, banjo; Joe Richolson, trumpet; Harold Thiell, reeds; Bob Pope, trumpet; Floyd Estep, reeds; Rex Downing, trombone; John Thiell, reeds.

Exterior view of members of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks taken at Niagara Falls, New York. Identified by Edmiston in his book as from left: Floyd Estep, Bob Pope, Rex Downing, Russ Stout, Bud Wilkinson (tour manager), Joe Sanders, Johnny Coon (Carleton Coon's son), Pop Estep, and Joe Richolson.

View of tornado debris blocking the Nighthawks' train near Cornland and Buffalo Hart, on way into Springfield, Illinois.

View of the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks cars being pulled from the mud by horses near Odessa, Missouri. They were on tour traveling to Chicago, Illinois. Sanders captioned this photo in his scrapbook: "Mired to the guards near Odessa, Mo., we had miles of this to battle. Seven cars made the trip..."

View of Nighthawks fording a stream trying to get to their first road trip engagement in Oklahoma City. Heavy rains had made road travel difficult. Individual members in view are not identified nor exact location given.

According to Edmiston's book, this view of the group was taken at the Newman Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. "Band's skit to accompany Charlie Chaplin's film "The Pilgrim". The garb and Chaplinesque mustaches make identification problematic." (p. 103, photo caption)

Interior view of the original Coon-Sanders Novelty Orchestra seated and posed with their instruments. Identified in Edmiston's book as left to right: Nick Musolino, Pop Estep, Joe Richolson, Joe Sanders, Carleton Coon, Bill Haid, John Thiell, Orville Knapp, and Harold Thiell.

Early, interior view of Coon-Sanders group. Information on drum in picture reads: "Sure Its' Coon-Sanders Novelty Orchestra, Gayety Theatre Bldg., Harrison 859, Kansas City, Mo." It is noted on back that this particular photograph was courtesy of Harvey Rettberg, Pickens, S.C.

Group pose identified on the drum as Coon-Sanders Novelty Orchestra, Gayety Theatre Bldg., Kansas City Missouri. Includes Joe Sanders at the piano and Carleton Coon by smaller drum. Other members not identified. Believed to be early group, although probably not the first.

Interior view identified as "Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks. America's Premier Radio Orchestra." Identified on the back by Fred Edmiston as: Backrow, left to right: Carleton Coon, Joe Sanders, and Pop Estep. Front row, from left: John Thiell, Floyd Estep, Harold Thiell, Bill Haid, Joe Richolson and Rex Downing.