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 2: Photographs

Box 81

Folder 1: Banquet Hall, ca. 1940
Folder 2: Clarke in C.G. Conn Band Instrument Factory, ca. 1920
Folder 3: Clarke Memorial Monument, 1948
Folder 4: Clarke Portraits, 1868-ca. 1930
Folder 5: Clarke Portraits, 1868-ca. 1930
Folder 6: Clarke Portraits from "The Road to Success" and "How I Became Successful", ca. 1890-1910
Folder 7: Victor Herbert, 1896

Box 83: Negatives

Folder 1: American Bandmasters Association (ABA), 1930-37
Folder 2: Band Photographs--General, ca. 1890-1940
Folder 3: Clarke, 1868-ca. 1930
Folder 4: Clarke Memorial, 1945
Folder 5: Clarke and Sousa, 1900-29
Folder 6: Columbian Exposition, 1893
Folder 7: Group Photographs-General, ca. 1915-40
Folder 8: Long Beach Municipal Band, ca. 1923-43
Folder 9: Musicians and Bandmasters, 1892-1940
Folder 10: Sousa, 1895-1930
Folder 11: Sousa Band, 1900-40

Box 85: Oversized Photographs

Folder 1: Alliance Bell Ringers, 1886
Folder 2: American Bandmasters Association, ca. 1935
Folder 3: Anglo-Canadian Leather Company Band, 1919
Folder 4: ARMCO Band, ca. 1930
Folder 5: Herbert L. Clarke, ca. 1910
Folder 6: Clarke with Long Beach Municipal Band, 1924-34
Folder 7: Clarke with other bands
Folder 8: Other Bands
Folder 9: Simon with ARMCO Band, with Sousa and Clarke, 1920-34
Folder 10: Sousa Conducts L.A. Grammer School Orchestra, 1928
Folder 11: Swiss Bell Ringers, 1886
Folder 12: "The Three Aces" Photograph Frame, 1934: photographs missing

Box 86: Oversized Photographs

Folder 1: Providence RI Band, Clarke, 1902
Folder 2: Reeve's American Band in Providence, RI, Clarke, 1902
Folder 3: American Bandmaster's Association, 1933-35
Folder 4: ARMCO Band, Frank Simon, 1938
Folder 5: "Season's Greetings" print to Clarke and Long Beach Municipal Band, undated
Item 1: Set of two Beasley conducting batons mounted on wooden backing, undated

Box 87

Folder 1: Clarke Portraits, 1868-ca. 1930
Folder 2: Clarke Candid, Undated
Folder 3: Clarke with Sousa, 1900
Folder 4: Clarke with Notable Band Dignitaries, Undated
Folder 5: Band Dignitaries, Undated
Folder 6: Unidentified Marching Bands, Undated

Box 88

Folder 1: American Bandmasters Association, 1934-37
Folder 2: Band Dignitaries and other notable personalities, Undated
Folder 3: Clarke Marching with a band in Willow Grove Park, PA, ca. 1920: John Lucas
Folder 4: Clarke with Band Dignitaries, Undated
Folder 5: Clarke with Long Beach Municipal Band
Folder 6: John Philip Sousa, ca. 1912-1932

Box 90

Folder 13: Unidentified Orchestra, Long Beach CA, undated
Folder 14: American Band Master's Association Dinner, 1931
Folder 15: Unidentified Band, undated
Folder 16: Citizens Band, Clinton, IA, undated
Folder 17: Texas Band, 1938

Box 111

Folder 1: Clarke with Others, 1934-1944
Folder 2: Long Beach Municipal Band, ca. 1924
Folder 3: Portraits of Various Musicians, ca. 1924 - 1941
Folder 4: Portraits of Various Musicians, ca. 1924-1941
Folder 5: Various Bands, ca. 1939
Folder 6: Clarke, Age 4, with Older Brothers, 1861
Folder 7: Band Photographs, 1889-1940
Folder 8: Band Dignitaries, 1904-1937
Folder 9: Clarke with Majorettes, ca. 1935
Folder 10: Dr. Orison Swett Marden and Mr. Erwin A. Holt, 1919
Folder 11: John Philip Sousa Plaque, 1935
Folder 12: San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, 1937

MapCabinet 3

MapDrawer 1

Folder 1: Clarke with unidentified band, undated

Folder 2: Oversized Photographs, 1919, 1941

Left Side: Tri-State Band Festival Poster, Enid, OK, April 16-19, 1941

Right Side: Anglo Canadian Leather Company Band, 1919

Oversize Panoramic Photo Box 1

Folder 3: Clarke with Long Beach Municipal Band, undated