The Amazing Winifred Atwell

Winifred Atwell - 'The Amazing Miss A' - was one of the most popular ragtime musicians and best-selling artists of her time.

In the 1950s, she had two UK No. 1 singles and 11 Top 10 hits, and spent 51 weeks in the Top 10 across the decade. She was the first black artist to sell a million records in the UK.

Born in Trinidad, Winifred (1914-83) grew to love Australia so much that she settled in Sydney in 1970.

Australia accepted Winifred with open arms and she continued to perform until her final appearance on The Mike Walsh Show in 1981.

The NFSA holds many audio recordings, photographs and television appearances featuring Winifred. Here is a selection from our collection.