Representations of Blackness in Music of the United States (1830s-1920s)

<p>This collection is a grouping of over 1,400 items dating from the 1830s to the 1920s. The contents of the collection depict representations of Black diasporic people and cultures through close to a century of illustrations and musical and lyrical compositions found in sheet music publications. The collection depicts representations of Blackness during an era dominated by the sheet music publishing industry and prior to the recording industry’s eventual domination over the commercial market which began in the 1920s.</p> <p>While white-dominant representations of Blackness span the majority of years of this collection, representations of Black diasporic peoples by Black performers and composers date to as early as the 1870s with the formation of the first African American Blackface performers and minstrel troupes, and become increasingly visible by the 1890s during the beginnings of African American musical theater. The collection ends with works that point to the age of jazz, commercial blues, and African American musical theater of the 1920s. However, popular musical representations of Blackness continued to proliferate well beyond the dates spanning this collection, up to and including our popular music and media of today.</p> <p>For additional information, context, and historical essays about the music in this collection please see the website created by the Brown University Library's Center for Digital Scholarship: <a href="https://library.brown.edu/cds/sheetmusic/afam/">African American Sheet Music</a></p> <p>For questions about this collection, or other materials in the John Hay Library, contact hay@brown.edu.</p>
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Items in this collection

Shovellin' coal

Shovellin' coal

Brown University

words and music by Jean C. Havez For voice and piano Caption title Sung by: Lew Dockstader Advertisements for other music: p. [2], [6] Cover illustration: drawing of grapevines / De Takacs; photographs of Lew Dockstader with and without blackface Library's cop. 1 inscribed: F.E.A. Advertisement, p. [6]: cop. 1, "Cheynne"

Shout breddern, sisters sing!:: Ethiopian song and chorus

words by Reginald P. Forrester; music by Frank Addis Kent For voice and piano Cover title Advertisement for other songs: cop. 2, p. [6] Library's copy 1 has stamp on cover: Stephen L. Breed, 15 Newhall Street, Lynn, Mass.

She's lovely as a rose

She's lovely as a rose

Brown University

music by Eddy Fox; words by Bobby Newcomb; arranged by Frank Cardella For voice and piano Cover title Additional verses: p. 5 Sung by: Billy Allen Cover illustration: lithograph of Billy Allen Cover printed by A. McLean, lith.

Read 'em and weep:: "blues" song

words by Al Bernard; music by Walter Haenschen For voice and piano Cover title Introduced by: Al Bernard Advertisement for other songs: p. [4] Cover illustration: photograph of Al Bernard

Porto Rico

Porto Rico

Brown University

"Sung by Aida Overton Walker with the Smart Set Co. in S.H. Dudley's His Honor the barber"--Cover Music by Jas T. Brymm; lyrics by Cecil Mack Cover features photograph of Aida Overton Walker with floral decorations by Gene Buck.

Poor Uncle Tom:: song & chorus

as sung by Wood's Minstrels at Minstrel Hall, N.Y.; the words by Henry Wood; the music composed by A. Sedgwick For voice, chorus (TABarB), and piano Cover title The name "Birch" appears beneath music on p. 3 and 5

Pickaninny nig

Pickaninny nig

Brown University

by Ned Straight For voice and piano Caption title Additional verses: p. 6 Advertisement for other songs: p. [8] Cover illustration: lithographed portraits of Delehanty and Hengler "Bising & Co., lith., Cincinnati"--Cover Library's copy has stamp on cover: From the bequest of Evert Jansen Wendell, 1918

Pickaninny Mose

Pickaninny Mose

Brown University

lyric by Chas. H. Brown & Otis F. Wood; music by Rollin Bond For voice and piano Caption title From musical: Simple Simon Simple Advertisement for other musicals: p. [8] Cover illustration: one-man band with Black puppet / Starmer Library's copy has retailer's stamp on cover: H.A. Tunehorst, the leading music and jewelry house, Herseyville, Ill.

Pick up your duds and go

words & music by Thomas Le Mack For voice and piano Cover title Composer's name appears as Thomas L. Mack in caption "Respectfully dedicated to and sung with great success by Eddie Manning, of Haverly's American & European Minstrels" Cover illustration: lithograph of Afro-American man packing suitcase

Old Uncle Dan

Old Uncle Dan

Brown University

words and music by Horace Dumars For solo voice, chorus (SATB) and piano Caption title Sung by: Milt. G. Barlow "Dedicated to Washington McLean, Esq., Cin, O."--Cover Advertisements for other music: p. [2-3], [6] Cover illustration: lithograph of elderly Black man, with fieldworkers in background

Old folks at home:: Ethiopian melody, as sung by Christy's Minstrels

written and composed by E.P. Christy For voice and piano Cover title Composed by Stephen Foster who sold to E.P. Christy. Cf. History of popular music in America / S. Spaeth, p. 103 Additional verses: p. 5 Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Also published for voice and guitar

Old black Joe:: song & chorus

written & composed by Stephen C. Foster For voice, piano, and chorus (SAB) Cover title At head of title: "Ten thousand copies sold." Advertisements for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: lithograph of old Black man reading to white girl, captioned "Dan Bryant"

Old Black Joe:: song

Old Black Joe:: song

Brown University

written and composed by Stephen C. Foster For voice, 3-part chorus, and piano Cover title Library's copy has retailer's stamp on cover: Doebele & Strengson, dealers in music, Toledo, Ohio

Oh! Wake up in de morning

written by M. E. I. ; & sung by Wm. Whitlock. For voice and piano. Caption title. List of series titles 1-14 given on cover. Cover illustration: lithograph of 2 Afro-American actors on stage, c1846.

Oh! Wake up in de morning

written by M. E. I. ; & sung by Wm. Whitlock. For voice and piano. Caption title. List of series titles 1-3 given on cover. Cover illustration: tinted lithograph of 2 Afro-American actors on stage, c1846.

Oh! I'se so wicked

Oh! I'se so wicked

Brown University

words and music by G.C. Howard For voice and piano Caption title Text refers to characters in "Uncle Tom's cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe Additional verses: p. 4-5 Cover illustration: lithograph of Mrs. G.C. Howard, the original "Topsey" "J.H. Bufford's sons lith. 141 Franklin St., Boston"--Cover

Oh! I'se so wicked

Oh! I'se so wicked

Brown University

words and music by G.C. Howard For voice and piano Caption title "As sung by Mrs. G.C. Howard in her celebrated & original character of Topsy in Uncle Tom's cabin at the National Theatre"--Cover Dedicated to: G.L. Aiken Additional verses: p. 4-5

Oh! I'se so wicked

Oh! I'se so wicked

Brown University

words and music by G.C. Howard For voice and piano Caption title Sung by: Mrs. G.C. Howard as Topsy in "Uncle Tom's cabin," based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe Dedicated to: G.L. Aiken Cover illustration: lithographed portrait of Mrs. G.C. Howard. "Lith. of Sarony & Co. N.Y."--Cover

Oh, Mister Grundy

Oh, Mister Grundy

Brown University

words by Andrew B. Sterling; music by George Hamilton For voice and piano Cover title Sung by: Florence Rother Advertisements for other music: p. [2]-[6] Cover illustration: drawing of Black man placing diamond ring on Black woman's finger

No cake comes too high for me

words by Dave Reed; music by Ferdinand Singhi For voice and piano Caption title Rag time chorus: p. [6] Advertisements for other songs: p. [2, 7-8] Cover illustration: Afro-American couple dancing near a cake. Library's copy inscribed: E.A. Young

Nelly Clyde:: Ethiopian melody

sung by Kunkel's Nightingale Opera Troupe; composed by Ed. F. Hutchinson For voice, piano, and chorus (SATB) Cover title Also published for: guitar Library's copy has retailer's stamp on cover: From Course's bazaar...Detroit

My watermelon-boy

My watermelon-boy

Brown University

words and music by Malcolm Williams For voice and piano Caption title Advertisement for: "Coontown carnival" and other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: drawing of Afro-American boys eating watermelon, printed in red and blue ink / Starmer

My Susie:: a Southern love song

words by John W. Parks; music by John H. Densmore For voice and piano Cover title Sung by: Theresa L. Bluford Cover illustration: drawing of silhouetted couple in moonlight / J.E. Pitts; photograph of Theresa L. Bluford