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>
words by Dan W. Quinn; music by J. Alex Silberberg; [arr. by G.M. Rosenberg] For voice and piano Cover title "Written for and sung with great success by The Country Sport Co." Advertisements for other songs: p. 3-[6] Cover illustration: photograph of Peter F. Dailey
words by Spencer Wright; music by Maurice Clark For voice and piano Cover title Sung by: Julius P. Witmark Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: photograph of an unidentified man; striped border design Also published for: band, orchestra, banjo, mandolin, and guitar
[words by] E.C.H.; [music by] Eber C. Hamilton For high voice and piano, in the key of B♭ Caption title Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: drawing of Black mother holding baby Also published for medium voice and piano, in A♭(original key)
words & music by Harry Dacre For voice and piano Cover title Additional verse: p. [5] Advertisements for other songs: p. 6 "Lowe & Brydone, lith., London, W."
words and music by Irving Jones For voice and piano Caption title "As sung by Jones, Grant & Jones"--Cover Advertisements for other music: p. 2-[6] Cover illustration: photograph of unidentified Afro-American man pleading with Afro-American woman
words by "Mord" Allen and J. Ed. Green; music by Will Marion Cook For voice and piano Cover title Lyricist's name appears as Ed. Green in caption Introduced by: Aida Overton Walker Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: drawing of Afro-American woman / E.H. Pfeiffer Library's copy has stamp on cover: Maralds Fisette
by Benson, Brown, Sterlin & Lange Jazz song for voice and piano Caption title Advertisement for another song: p. [4] Cover illustration: drawing of jazz band / Starmer; photograph of Frances Kennedy
written by Harry B. Smith; composed by John Stromberg For voice and piano Caption title Sung by: Fay Templeton in "Hurly burly" Cover illustration: photograph of Fay Templeton; floral border design / Geo. O. Hart Advertisement for "Kiss me honey, do" and other songs: cop. 2, p. [8]
arranged by [A.] Sedgwick For voice and banjo Cover title "As sung by P.H. Keenan"--Caption "Hays N.Y." The number 2-1/2 appears in a star in lower right corner of cover Cover illustration: woodland foliage design Library's copy has notebook holes punched through pages
arranged by [A.] Sedgwick For voice and banjo Cover title Page 3 is unnumbered "As sung by P.H. Keenan"--Caption "Hays N.Y." "25 C Nett" appears in lower right corner of cover Cover illustration: woodland foliage design Page 3 of copy 2 is numbered "Copyright, 25 C Nett" appears in lower right corner of cover on copy 2 Library's copy 2 has numbers 13-18 written in ink in upper corners of pages
words by Alex Rogers; music by Will Marion Cook For voice and piano Caption title Advertisements for other songs: p. [2 and 6] Cover illustration: [photographs of Williams & Walker?]; drawing of woman wearing bandanas / De Takacs
Cover title. "1848-1852, Vanderbeek, William, 479 Broadway [New York]"--Early Amer. sheet music / Dichter & Shapiro, p. 240. Cover illustration: lithograph of table with instruments, a scallop shell, and minstrels. "Lith. of Geo. E. Leefe N.Y."
composed by Old Dan Emmet For voice and piano Caption title Price given as 25 cents net in lower right corner of cover Cover illustration: engraving of the face of a minstrel / Greene The number 2-1/2 in a star in lower right corner of cover: cop. 2
sung by Mr. Rice at the Chesnut St. Theatre. For voice and piano. Caption title. "Jim Crow was the invention of Thomas Dartmouth ('Daddy') Rice"--Series of old American songs / Brown University Library, no. 15. Verses 2-5 printed on p. [2]; verses 6-19 printed on p. [3
arranged by E.P. Christy ; and sung by G.N. Christy of Christy's Minstrels. For voice, chorus (air, TTB) and piano. Caption title. Attributed to Anthony F. Winnemore in earlier ed.: Boston : G.P. Reed, 1843. Verses 2-4 printed on p. 4. Cover illustration: engraving of oval border design with Afro-American man seated at top.
selected, written and arranged for the piano forte by William Clifton. For voice and piano. Cover title. Verses 2-8 printed on p. [5] Cover illustration: lithograph of Afro-American man playing brass instrument in laundry room / Spoodlyks. "Endicott. Litho."--Cover.
as sung by John N. Smith ; arranged for the piano forte by an eminent professor. For voice and piano. Cover title. "[Ned Harper] was the author of 'Jim along Josey'"--Monarchs of minstrelsy / Rice, p. 24. Verses 2-7 printed on p. [3] Cover illustration: lithograph of Afro-American child dancing.
words by Charles Horwitz; music by Frederick V Bowers For voice and piano Caption title "Music by Fred. V. Bowers"--Cover Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: Afro-American with bandaged head sitting on hammock Also published for: band, orchestra, mandolin, banjo, guitar
words by W.E. Browning; music by Chas. E. Hart For voice and piano Caption title Dedicated to: May Irwin Advertisements for other music: p. [2], [8] Cover illustration: drawing of Black man crossing railroad tracks as train approaches, watched by other Black people
words by George E. Hasie; music by Henry B. Funk For voice, 4-part chorus, and piano Cover title Library's copy inscribed: Compliments of the author, July 1892.
words by Thos. S. Allen; music by Joseph M. Daly For voice and piano Caption title Advertisements for other songs: p. [2], [6] Cover illustration: drawing of richly dressed woman / E.H. Pfeiffer; photograph of the Hayward Trio
by Paul Dresser For voice and piano Cover title Sung by: Vernona Jarbeau Advertisements for other music: p. [2], 5, [6] Cover illustration: drawing of Black banjo player wooing Black woman; photograph of Vernona Jarbeau
by C.A. White For voice, piano, and chorus (SATB) Caption title Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: lithograph of Afro-American man walking with dog, with head turned towards his right Library's copy has stamp on cover: J.M. Russell, 126 Tremont St., Boston.
by C.A. White For voice, piano, and chorus (SATB) Caption title Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: lithograph of Afro-American man walking with dog, with head turned towards his left
words and music by Henry Wolcott Kirby For voice and piano Caption title Advertisement for other songs: p. [6] Cover illustration: drawing of sunflower with inset showing Afro-American man; photograph of H.W. Kirby[?] Library's copy has retailer's stamp on cover: H.A. Tunehorst, Jerseyville Ill., Music and jewelry house