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 3: Personal Papers

Box 81: Scrapbook: news clippings and reviews

Folder 8: Scrapbook, 1916-ca. 1942

ScrapbookPage 1: The Musical Messenger, Herbert L. Clarke, January 1916
ScrapbookPage 2: Around the World with Sousa, by Herbert L. Clarke, 1916
ScrapbookPage 3: Around the World with Sousa, by Herbert L. Clarke, Chapter 2, 1916
ScrapbookPage 4: Why Cornetists Fail to Reach Success, by Herbert L. Clarke in Texas Music Educator, No. 1, October 1941
ScrapbookPage 5: Why Cornetists Fail to Reach Success, by Herbert L. Clarke in Texas Music Educator, No. 2, April 1942
ScrapbookPage 6: "Every member of the band was an employee of the leather company" is a paragraph cut from the Edmonton Journal, pg 9, and included in Clarke's scrapbook., July 3, 1920: Journal identification and date of publication of this quote was taken from was provided by Dave Detwiler on July 25, 2020.

Folder 9: Scrapbook, 1916-ca. 1942

Folder 10: Scrapbook, 1916-ca. 1942

Folder 11: Scrapbook, 1916-ca. 1942

Folder 12: Scrapbook, 1916-ca. 1942

Box 82: Article Drafts, Magazine Articles, and News Clippings

Folder 1: Boosey's Military Magazine, ca. 1910
Folder 2: Clarke Honoraria, 1909-1946
Folder 3: Herbert L. Clarke Scrapbook Cover, 1899
Folder 4: Herbert L. Clarke Scrapbook, 1887-ca.1900
Folder 5: A Cornet Playing Pilgrim's Progress (M.S.), 1933: Author: Clarke
Folder 6: The Etude Magazine, 1939
Folder 7: "Famous Cornetists of the Past" (M.S.), 1930-37: Composer/Arranger: Clarke; Author: Clarke
Folder 8: "Famous Cornetists of the Past", 1930-32: Author: Clarke
Folder 9: The Metronome, 1909
Folder 10: "Does Playing While Marching Injure the Lips of Wind Instrument Players?: A Symposium, 1934-35: Composer/Arranger: Jacob's Band Monthly; Author: Jacob's Band Monthly
Folder 11: "Random Talks on the Cornet" (M.S.), 1932-33: Composer/Arranger: Clarke; Author: Clarke
Folder 12: "Random Talks: Number Four" (Band Leadership), 1933: Author: Clarke
Folder 13: "The Sousa I Knew", 1932: Author: Clarke
Folder 14: Sousa News Clippings, 1904-1936
Folder 15: Christmas Card from Stanwurt Valentine Schilling (Master Stan) to Clarke, 1939: Author: Stanwurt Valentine Schilling
Folder 16: "How to Appreciate Band Music", Undated: Author: Clarke
Folder 17: "Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore", 1931: Author: Clarke

Box 83: Correspondence, Article Drafts, and Programs

Folder 12: "Around the World with Sousa" (M.S.), 1933-1935

Composer/Arranger: Clarke

Author: Clarke

Folder 13: Band and Band Festival Programs, 1897-1941

Item 1: Tri-State Band Festival Poster, Enid, OK, Apr. 16-19, 1941: Oversized Item: Cabinet 3, Drawer 1

Folder 14: Bunker Hill Day, 1915

Folder 15: Clarke Correspondence-General, 1923-1938

Folder 16: Clarke Memorial Ceremony Program, 1948

Folder 17: "The Cornet, Trumpet, and Fleugelhorn in the Band", 1932

Author: Clarke

Folder 18: "Good Bands, Next to Orchestras" (in Musical Canada), 1921

Author: Clarke

Folder 19: Interlochen Music Camp Map, 1933

Folder 20: The Literary Digest Liberty Map of New Europe, 1920

Folder 21: Miscellaneous Manuscripts and Lecture Notes, ca. 1941

Author: Clarke

Folder 22: "Music: A Science and an Art", ca. 1930

Author: Clarke

Folder 23: "My Happy Association with Mr. Sousa", 1941

Author: Clarke

Folder 24: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1929-1954

Folder 25: "The Road to Success" and "How I Became Successful" (M.S.), 1936-1940

Author: Clarke

Folder 26: "The Road to Success" and "How I Became Successful", 1936-40

Author: Clarke

Folder 27: "How I Became a Cornetist" published booklet, 1934

Author: Clarke

Folder 28: Interlochen Radio Broadcast Script, Aug. 9, 1936

Folder 29: "Huber, The Man and Pioneer", April, 1931

Author: Rodenberg, L.W.

Folder 30: Guggenheim Memorial Concerts featuring the Goldman Band-programs, 1959

Box 84

Folder 2: Book of Friendship (includes newsclippings, autographs), 1937: Author: Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Long Beach
Folder 3: "Ideal" Scrapbook (Journal article clippings), ca. 1924: Author: Clarke

Box 86

Folder 5: Major Clarke and Long Beach Municipal Band, Undated

Box 90

Folder 1: Letter from City of Toronto to Herbert L. Clarke, 1892
Folder 2: Clarke Band Review in Toronto Daily Star, 1921
Folder 3: Music Day at the Exhibition, Toronto, 1921
Folder 4: Music Day Schedule, Canadian National Exhibition, 1921
Folder 5: Popular Song Writing, Toronto Globe, 1921
Folder 6: Review of the Anglo-Canadian Band, conducted by Clarke, 1921
Folder 7: Long Beach Girls Appear in Rose Bowl Parade, 1940
Folder 8: Musical Fiesta at the Coliseum Review, 1940
Folder 9: 15,000th Long Beach Municipal Band Concert, 1941
Folder 10: Long Beach Appear in Rose Bowl Parade, 1941
Folder 11: Membership Certificates and Honorary Awards, 1906-43
Folder 12: American Bandmaster's Association Membership Certificate and Memoribilia, 1924-28

Box 107: Books

Folder 3: How to Use Organ Stops, 1908: Author: W. Clarke
Folder 4: A Course in Band and Orchestra Conducting, Vandercook Cornet School, 1916

Box 108: Books

Folder 1: The Orchestra Director's Manual, 1927: Author: Allen
Folder 2: Form in Music, Ca. 1900: Author: Anger
Folder 3: The Golden Book of Favorite Songs, 1923: Author: Beattie
Folder 4: The Organist's Retrospect: An Autobiography of Ernest Onslow, 1896: Author: W. Clark
Folder 5: Music Lover's Handbook, 1911: Author: Clifford
Folder 7: Fundamentals of Music: Author: Miller

Box 109: Books

Folder 1: The Doctor Prescribes Music, 1939: Author: Podolsky
Folder 2: Getting Results with School Bands, 1938: Author: Prescott
Folder 3: The Trombone and Its Player, 1937: Author: Raymond
Folder 4: Complete Instruction Manual for Bugle, Trumpet and Drum, 1916: Author: Safranek
Folder 5: Parsifal (Libretto), 1903: Author: Wagner
Folder 6: The Music Conductor's Manual, 1929: Author: Waters