“…Most Perfect…”

“Babies Crying (Continuous)”; Standard Sound Effect (036255)

“Dear Old Southland”; Duke Ellington; Creamer; Layton; Victor (27564-B); Recorded May 14, 1941

Unidentified Photographer, AP, May 14, 1941

Victors’ Chorus
Winners and runners-up in the Brooklyn Methodist hospital’s “most perfect baby” contest doesn’t seem happy about it…

“Blues in My Condition”; Cootie Williams and His Orchestra; Williams; Columbia (MZ 363); May 7, 1941

Brooklyn Eagle, May 13, 1941

“Boogie Woogie Man”; Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons; Ammons; Johnson; Victor (27505-A); May 7, 1941

Unidentified Photographer, Brooklyn Eagle, May 14, 1941

Boilermaker’s Baby Tops
Howling successes are these babies, all prize winners in Methodist Hospital’s annual perfect baby contest…

“Pete’s Mixture”; Pete Johnson; Dave Dexter; Decca (8582B); May 8, 1941

Unidentified Photographer, Buffalo, May 16, 1941

What? Sextuplets?
No, it’s just the six winners and runners-up in the Brooklyn Methodist Hospital’s “most perfect baby” contest…

“Barrel House Boogie”; Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons; Ammons; Johnson; Victor (27504-B); May 7, 1941

Unidentified Photographer, New York Sun, May 14, 1941

“Death Ray Boogie”; Pete Johnson; Dave Dexter; Decca (3830B); May 8, 1941

Weegee, PM, May 14, 1941, p. 17

“Basement Boogie”; Pete Johnson; Decca (3830A); May 8, 1941

“Baby Crying (Continuous)”; Major (5001 A); 1960

Weegee, PM, May 14, 1941, p 17

Meet Methodist Hospital’s Most Perfect Baby

One of these six babies, all of them born last year in the maternity ward of the Methodist Hospital, Sixth Street and Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, will soon be named the most perfect baby of the year. The nurses are lining them up to be judged by the pediatricians as part of the hospital’s fourth annual Perfect Baby Contest yesterday. The fist baby on the left is making a grab for the first prize, perhaps it’s an omen. The others don’t seem to be very much interested. Which of the six do you think should win?

Weegee, PM, May 14, 1941, p. 17

Weegee, PM, May 14, 1941, p. 17

“Solitude”; Duke Ellington; Victor (27564-A); Recorded May 14, 1941