Finding Aid for Herbert L Clarke Music and Personal Papers, circa 1880-1945 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Mary Miller, Betty Reed, and Reed Gallo

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Collection Overview

Title: Herbert L Clarke Music and Personal Papers, circa 1880-1945

ID: 12/9/54

Primary Creator: Clarke, Herbert L. (Herbert Lincoln) (1867-1945)

Extent: 21.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: The collection is organized in 7 series. Series 1, Music, ca.1851-1945, (Boxes 1-80, 89, & 92) is arranged sequentially by a unique catalog number used by Clarke to manage his performance library, music without these numbers was left in the order it was found, Series 2, Photographs, 1868-1945(Boxes 81-88), Series 3, Personal Papers, 1887-1953 (Boxes 81-84, 86, 89-90), is arranged alphabetically, Series 4, Awards, Medals, and Memorabilia, ca.1892-ca.1945 (Boxes 91, 97-99), Series 5, Phonodiscs, ca.1895-ca.1942 (Boxes 93-94), Series 6, Long Beach Municipal Band, ca.1936-1991, Boxes 95-96), and Series 7, Instruments, ca.1886-ca.1945, (Boxes 100-106). Microfilm of original manuscripts is on reels 106 - 112 in box 6 of the master negatives.

Subjects: Bands, Music, Sousa, John Philip

Formats/Genres: Papers

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of Clarke's performance library of original and published music for band and orchestra music, scrapbooks, photographs, musical instruments, personal correspondence, news clippings, awards, and other memorabilia documenting his career as cornetist, a member of the Sousa Band, conductor for the Long Beach Municipal Band, composer and arranger, and music educator. Many of the methods included near the end of Series 1 are autographed by the respective authors.

Biographical Note

Herbert L. Clarke (1867-1945), cornetist, composer, bandleader and educator was considered the King of the cornet in his day. He first studied the violin at the age of 5 and at 13 began playing professionally in the Philharmonic Society Orchestra of Toronto. At the same time he began to study the cornet and soon began to play it professionally in a restaurant band and in the Queen's Own Regimental Band. After a move to Indianapolis, Clarke learned to play the viola and subsequently joined the England's Opera House Orchestra and played cornet in the When Clothing Store Band. It was with this band that in 1886 Clarke won a solo cornet contest and received a one-of-a-kind pocket cornet made by the famous instrument maker, Henry Diston, which can be seen at the Sousa Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign.

Clarke moved to New York City in 1892 where he briefly played for the Gilmore Band. In 1893, Clarke became the solo cornet player for the John Philip Sousa Band and later became the assistant conductor, composer and arranger. He performed as soloist for 3 of the 4 European Tours and 1910-1911 World Tour. During the off-seasons Clarke pursued his own musical endeavors. These included conducting the Reeve's Concert Band in Providence, RI, recording his solo cornet compositions, duets, and quartets with the Victor Label, and playing 2nd Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Trumpet with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

After leaving Sousa's Band, he became the conductor of the Anglo-Canadian Leather Company Band in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, and later moved to California and conducted the historic Long Beach Municipal Band until his death in 1945. Rarely after the age of 50 did he perform the cornet in public. He published several articles and books about the cornet and method books on cornet playing and of particular notice are his early drafts of these methods books and articles.

Subject/Index Terms

Bands
Music
Sousa, John Philip

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: unknown

Acquisition Method: The music and personal papers were donated to the University of Illinois in 1945.

Other Note: Pages

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Music],
[Series 2: Photographs],
[Series 3: Personal Papers],
[Series 4: Awards, Medals, and Memorabilia],
[Series 5: Phonodiscs],
[Series 6: Long Beach Municipal Band--Programs, News Clippings, and Photographs],
[Series 7: Instruments],
[All]

Series 4: Awards, Medals, and Memorabilia

Box 91: Medals

Item 1: Shrine Club of Long Beach, 6/16/1936
Item 2: Lions Club
Item 3: Saint Johns Encampment, 1802-1902
Item 4: Long Beach Municipal Band
Item 5: Chicago Council Princes of Jerusalem
Item 6: Unidentified, 1908
Item 7: Long Service Grand Commandery of St. Johns
Item 8: Tri-State Band Festival, 1939
Item 9: Marksman, 1903
Item 10: Unidentified
Item 11: Unidentified
Item 12: Unidentified two guns crossing
Item 13: Wanderers
Item 14: Tri-State Band Festival, 1941
Item 15: Sherwood Foresters
Item 16: The Wanderers Club, 1904
Item 17: National Band Festival
Item 18: National School Band Association, 1936
Item 19: I.M.P.A. of Toronto, 7/15/1914
Item 20: The Wanderers Club, 1905
Item 21: The Wanderers Club, 1909
Item 22: Georg Lang Munich, 6/1900
Item 23: The Wanderers Club, 1906
Item 24: National High School Clinic Band, 1936
Item 25: Ernest Williams School of Music, 3/14/1940
Item 26: Tenth Olympiad in Los Angeles, 1932
Item 27: New York State Commission Paris Exposition, 1900
Item 28: Unidentified two guns crossing
Item 29: The Wanderers Club Johannesburg, 1910
Item 30: Unidentified United States flag
Item 31: Long Beach
Item 32: Navy League
Item 33: Masonry Medal
Item 34: Navy League
Item 35: Tri-State Band Festival, 1940
Item 36: Tri-State Band Festival, 1938
Item 37: Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks
Item 38: Long Beach
Item 39: Artillery Company of Massachusetts and London, 10/3/1903
Item 40: The American Bandmaster's Association, 8/1936
Item 41: Unidentified eagle of Chicago, 1932
Item 42: Around the World with Sousa, 1910-1911
Item 43: Kidderminster Brussel Weavers of Philadelphia, 1902
Item 44: Artillery Company of Massachusetts and London (duplicate), 10/3/1903
Item 45: American Federation of Musicians
Item 46: All-Western Band Review in Long Beach, 1939
Item 47: Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
Item 48: 50th Jubilaeum, 1910
Item 49: Federation of State Societies of Long Beach
Item 50: American Federation of Musicians in Los Angeles, 1932
Item 51: American Bandmasters Association in Chicago, 1933
Item 52: 11th American Bandmasters Association in Hagerstown, MD, 3/10-13/1940
Item 53: 6th American Bandmasters Association in Cincinnati, 3/7-10/1935
Item 54: Musicians Association of Long Beach, CA, 7/18/1937
Item 55: American Bandmasters Association Convention in Toronto, 1934
Item 56: Supreme Pyramid Ancient Egyptian Order, 11/2-5/1938
Item 57: 8th American Bandmasters' Association in Milwaukee, 3/5-7/1937
Item 58: American Bandmasters' Association in Boston, 4/5-12/1931
Item 59: Douglas Dedication in Long Beach, 10/17/1941
Item 60: National School Music Competition Festival, 5/9-11/1940
Item 61: Supreme Pyramid in Santa Cruz, 11/5-8/1941
Item 62: Supreme Pyramid in Sacramento, 11/6-9/1940

Box 97: Awards & Miscellaneous Items

Folder 1: Gold Pocket Watch presented by U. S. S. Alabama, 1902
Folder 2: Trophy from Long Beach Municipal Band, 1924
Folder 3: Ram's Horn Trumpet presented by J. C. Creason, 1941
Folder 4: Trophy presented by H. N. White Instrument Company
Folder 5: Miniature Trumpet (broken)
Folder 6: Telescoping Baton

Box 98: Awards

Folder 1: Presented by 2nd Regiment Band, 1903
Folder 2: Presented by American Federation of Musicians, Local 47, 1933

Box 99: Batons

Folder 1: Presented by Herntzman's Band, 1892

blue case

Folder 2: Presented by 21st Infantry Band, June 23, 1898

Folder 3: Presented by M. M. B. H., 1925

Folder 4: Herbert L. Clarke black and ivory baton

Folder 5: SEE

Box 1: Oversized Special Collections

Item 1: Two Wooden Batons and Storage Plaque from Doug Beesley, Undated

Folder 6: Unidentified black and ivory baton

Folder 7: Unidentified wooden baton

Folder 8: Device for measuring mouthpiece pressure

Box 110: Awards

Item 1: Willow Grove Cup, 1902

Item 8: Knights Templar Sword, undated

Accession # 2004.120954.008