Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts University Bands Hunleth Music Store Sheet M... Finding Aid Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts University Bands Hunleth Music Store Sheet M... Finding Aid By Dan Andree, Jessica Ballard, Carol Berthold, Cory Davis, Celia Faux, Jessica Lapinski, Matthew Mayton, Garrett McComas, Katie Nichols, Somer Pelczar, Holly Pletka, Allison Repking, and Nolan Vallier
Title: Hunleth Music Store Sheet Music and Photograph Collection, ca. 1880-1986
ID: 12/9/123
Primary Creator: Hunleth Music Company (1901-1974)
Extent: 40.25 cubic feet
Arrangement:
Organized in eleven series:
Series 1) Autographed Prints, ca. 1880-1950, is arranged chronologically by topic;
Series 2) School Wind Band Music Octavos, ca. 1880-1970, is arranged alphabetically by title of music series;
Series 3) Mandolin Sheet Music and Method Books, 1888-1969, is organized in two sub-series within each series, Sub-series 1: Sheet Music and Sub-series 2: Method Books. Materials are arranged alphabetically with untitled materials at the beginning;
Series 4) Banjo Sheet Music and Method Books, 1900-1960, is organized in two sub-series within each series, Sub-series 1: Sheet Music and Sub-series 2: Method Books. Materials are arranged alphabetically with untitled materials at the beginning;
Series 5) Hawaiian and Steel Guitar Music and Method Books, 1898-1970, is organized in two sub-series within each series, Sub-series 1: Sheet Music and Sub-series 2: Method Books. Materials are arranged alphabetically with untitled materials at the beginning;
Series 6) Guitar Sheet Music and Method Books, 1891-1969, is organized in two sub-series within each series, Sub-series 1: Sheet Music and Sub-series 2: Method Books. Materials are arranged alphabetically with untitled materials at the beginning;
Series 7) Autoharp and Zither Sheet Music and Method Books, is organized in two sub-series within each series, Sub-series 1: Sheet Music and Sub-series 2: Method Books. Materials are arranged alphabetically with untitled materials at the beginning;
Series 8) Gibson School of Music Records, 1889-1937, is organized alphabetically by title for sheet music and method books. Correspondence, advertisement, and minutes have been placed at the beginning;
Series 9) Accordion, Bandonian, and Concertina Sheet Music and Method Books, is organized alphabetically by composer;
Series 10) Silent Film Music is arranged in numerical order as assigned by the Hunleth Music Co. The original order is no longer evident, except for Series 10. Series containing music have been structured to mimic a music store model in which sheet music and method books are separated by principal instrument. Series order listed in order of processing;
and Series 11) Saxophone Ensemble Octavos, ca. 1924-1930, is organized alphabetically by the title.
Date Acquired: 02/01/1974
Subjects: Accordion, Autoharp music, Bands (Music), Banjo music, Goldman, Edwin Franko, Guitar music, Hawaiian guitar music, Mandolin music, Music business, Music Publishers, Music stores, Silent film music, Sousa, John Philip, Teaching Methods, Zither music
Formats/Genres: Business Records, Correspondence, Methods--Self Instruction, Photographs, Sheet music
Languages: English, Russian, German, Spanish;Castilian, Italian, French
Consists of unsold published sheet music and method books that were part of the Hunleth Music Company (St. Louis, MO)'s unsold stock when the store closed in 1974, documenting the types of published music typically sold to musicians and band ensembles in the U.S. Midwest during the first half of the 20th century. Also includes a small number of collector photographs documenting Midwestern classical music and opera performers at the turn of the 20th century and records related to local music teacher Robert Lehrmann (1879-1948) and the Gibson School of Music (1889-1937).
After 27 years as proprietor of the Standard Pulley & Foundry, Frank J. Hunleth, sold his shares in the company and opened the Hunleth Music Company in 1901, at the encouragement of his son, Joseph F. Hunleth. Frank J. Hunleth purchased a building located at 9 South Broadway, Saint Louis, Missouri, which was previously owned and occupied by A. T. Walo's Music Company. In 1908, Frank J. Hunleth's sons, Joseph F. Hunleth and Alois J. Hunleth, assumed management of the store. The Hunleth Music Co. moved to a larger building at 516 Locust Street in 1915, where it remained for nearly 40 years. Joseph F. Hunleth traveled to Europe yearly to buy music and instruments for the Hunleth Music Co., introducing Midwest musicians to music published outside the country. He bought sheet music in such a high volume that U.S. publishers would show him scores before deciding whether to publish them to guarantee sales. After the Locust building was purchased by First National Bank in 1952, the store moved to 415 North Broadway, where it remained until it closed in 1974. Joseph and Alois Hunleth operated the company as partners until Alois's death from a heart attack in 1959. Joseph continued to operate the company as sole owner until his death in 1968, when ownership of the company passed to Joseph's widow, Violet B. Hunleth. She retained ownership until the company's closure in 1974. The building housing the music company was demolished to make way for the Mercantile Center between 1975-1979, a redevelopment project that was never completed.
The Hunleth Music Company's store consisted of five floors of music instruments and sheet music, making it an important hub for the music trade in the Midwest. Hunleth Music Co. also dealt in rare instruments and specialized in imported violins from makers in Germany, Italy, and France. It carried Victor, Columbia, and Brunswick sound recordings; Victorolas; and radiolas; and it had its own radio department, indicating that the store not only served musicians but also music listeners. The store also sold tickets for concerts and performances for acts like Bily May and Count Basie at the Casa-Loma Ballroom in Saint Louis connecting the store to St. Louis local music scene. Hunleth Music Co. was the gathering site for musicians both unknown and well-known, such as Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz, Mischa Elman, Yehudi Menuhim, and Rudolph Ganz. According to a long-time employee, it had "the gemutlicheit of the easy-going business" that attracted customers to the "wonderful family-like organization." In its heyday the Hunleth Music Co. held over a million copies of sheet music and the largest collection of 78-rpm sound recordings in St. Louis.
Accordion
Autoharp music
Bands (Music)
Banjo music
Goldman, Edwin Franko
Guitar music
Hawaiian guitar music
Mandolin music
Music business
Music Publishers
Music stores
Silent film music
Sousa, John Philip
Teaching Methods
Zither music
Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source: J. F. Hunleth Music Store.
Acquisition Method: Purchase of unsold stock upon closure of the J. F. Hunleth Music Store, 415 N. Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri. The band octavos were transferred from the Press Building basement to the Center in November 2017, and the banjo, mandolin, Hawaiian and steel guitar, zither, and autoharp sheet music was transferred from the Press Building on April 16, 2018. The accordion, bandonian, and concertina sheet music and method books were transferred from the Press Building on December 6, 2018. The silent movie music was transferred from the Press Building on January 8, 2019.
Consists of sheet music used for silent films. Items are in Hunleth Music Co. binders which were stamped with numbers and arranged in numerical order by the Hunleth Music Co., probably according to when the piece was received by Hunleth. That original order has been used.
Types of music include selections from larger symphonic and operatic works and individual compositions by both classical and contemporary composers. Descriptions of each piece include the Hunleth number; the title of each piece including the larger work, if any, from which it was taken; the composer; the arranger, orchestrator, or editor; and the most recent copyright date. Handwritten manuscripts are noted. Different musical pieces having the same Hunleth number are also listed and noted. Some pieces in Subseries 2 are from Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly.
Many items include full scores and parts for orchestral instruments. Nearly all items contain the score for piano and often conductor. Some items include only parts for small ensembles.
Subseries 1 and 2 were numbered and organized separately by the Hunleth Music Co. according to the physical size of the music.
No. 23: "Avalon," Neil Moret, arr. by J. Bodewalt Lampe (1910). No. 23: "Daddy, You've Been a Mother to Me," Fred Fisher, Charles N. Grant (1920). No. 24: "Beneath a Balcony," Jesse M. Winne (1916). No. 25: "Frolic of the Skeets," Howard Whitney Swope (1913). No. 25: "The Magic of Your Eyes," Arthur A. Penn, orch by George J. Trinkaus (1917). No. 26: "Idle Thoughts," Jos. Linder, arr. by W. H. Batchelor (1912). No. 27: "Coeur D'Alene," Arthur Wellesley, arr. by A. W. Hughes (1913). No. 28: "Swedish Processional March," Xaver Scharwenka, arr. by Otto Langey (1910). No. 28: "Oh! How She Could Yacki Hacki Wicki Wacki Woo (That's Love in Honolu)," Albert Von Tilzer, arr. by Ted Eastwood (1916). No. 30: "In the Tavern," Adolf Jensen, arr. by Otto Langey (1911). No. 31: "Air de Ballet," C. Chaminade, arr. by Ernest Gillet (1910).
Note: There are two pieces each listed as number 23, 25, and 28
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