Joseph H. Howard

Dr. Joseph H. Howard (1912 - 1994) a dentist by profession gathered what is arguably the "largest collection" of drums in the Americas. Dr. Howard and his wife Bootsie travelled around the world over a period of 40 years amassing this collection of 800 drums, representing the drums and other musical instruments of cultures from Alaska to Argentina and from California to the Pacific islands, as well as Africa and Asia. The importance of his collection has been noted by experts on folk instruments at the Smithsonian Institution and were part of a major touring exhibit with artifacts collected by Fernando Ortiz the Cuban ethnographer who defined Afro-Cuban culture and wrote 30 books on the subject.

Joseph Howard was born in Venezuela and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Howard was an oral surgeon by profession who collected drums from around the world in his spare time after finding out his father was Kenyan. Over the years he amassed the largest collection of authentic drums in the Americas. Recently, his collection has been featured, along with elements of the Fernando Ortiz estate in a touring exhibit Ritmos de Identidad by the Smithsonian.

Growing up in Chicago Dr. Howard was fascinated with rhythm and drumming. Before he owned even one drum he would make improvised instruments out of whatever was around him. He attended Fisk University for his undergraduate degree and earned his doctorate at the University of Illinois in dental surgery. After marrying Tommy Berry in 1946 they relocated to Los Angeles in 1952, where Howard was exposed to a rich Latin drumming tradition. Howard's own mixed heritage, being of African, European and East Indian descent, was a constant backdrop to his musical interests. His daughter Victoria describes her father's passion as a "pursuit of identity through the eye of the drum." He often described his family as "the fruit of the cross of cultures."

Dr. & Mrs. Howard were both passionate collectors. She preferred African art, while his primary interest was in all things musical, for he not only collected the drums of many nations. He also collected stamps, books, photos, instrument making techniques and instruments to accompany the drums. He had a particular interest in the musical heritage of the Djuka people of Surinam and not only collected their instruments, but also acquired elaborately hand-carved furniture, including the double doors to his home. At first glance many of these items could easily be confused with African artifacts, but stylistically African instruments have become more utilitarian over the years. As Dr. Howard pointed out, to this researcher, during a visit to his home the Djuka people had maintained their culture in stasis due to the isolated nature of their existence.

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