Herbert L Clarke Music and Personal Papers

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Music

Photographs

Personal Papers

Awards, Medals, and Memorabilia

Phonodiscs

Long Beach Municipal Band--Programs, News Clippings, and Photographs

Instruments



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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 1880-1945Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

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 7: InstrumentsAdd to your cart.
Item 1: Cornet, C. G. Conn, S# 70374, 1901Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Accession # 2004.120954.001
Item 2: Cornet, C. G. Conn, S#103121, 1907Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Accession # 2004.120954.002
Item 3: Cornet, Frank Holton and Co., S#64181, 1931Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Accession # 2004.120954.003
Item 4: Cornet, H. N. White Co., S#232624, ca. 1940-1945Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Accession # 2004.120954.004
Item 5: Cornet, Frank Holton and Co., S#64060, 1931Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

Accession # 2004.120954.005

Gold plated with gold plated straight mute.

Item 6: Pocket Cornet, Henry Diston, S#1268/398, ca. 1886Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Accession # 2004.120954.006
Item 7: Violin, Unidentified Manufacturer, ca. 1900Add to your cart.
Accession # 2004.120954.007

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]

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