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

Lindy does you love me?:: song and refrain

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

Lina, my jet black queen:: a melon-choly love song

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

Li'l rosebud Joe

Li'l rosebud Joe

Brown University

[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)

Let me bring my clothes back home

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

Kinky

Kinky

Brown University

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

Keep jazzin' it Ras'

Keep jazzin' it Ras'

Brown University

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

Keep away from Emmeline

Keep away from Emmeline

Brown University

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]

Keemo Kimo:: Geo Christy and Wood's celebrated banjo song

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

Keemo Kimo:: Geo Christy and Wood's celebrated banjo song

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

Just the same

Just the same

Brown University

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

Julius' bride

Julius' bride

Brown University

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."

Jordan is a hard road to travel

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

Jim Crow's polka

Jim Crow's polka

Brown University

A.F. Winnemore. For voice and piano. Caption title. Verses 2-6 printed on p. 3. Cover illustration: lithograph of 4 Afro-American minstrels. "Thayer & Co's Lith. Boston"--Cover.

Jim Crow: a comic song

Jim Crow: a comic song

Brown University

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

Jim Crow polka

Jim Crow polka

Brown University

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.

Jim Brown: a favorite comic song

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.

Jim along Josey

Jim along Josey

Brown University

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.

Jest a misunderstandin' wid ma lady love:: (the love-sick coon)

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

It didn't even hesitate

It didn't even hesitate

Brown University

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

In the heart of the city that has no heart

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

I'se a-waitin', ma gal, for you

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