Finding Aid for Otto Mesloh Music and Papers, 1871-1913 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Adriana Cuervo and Mandi Goodsett

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Collection Overview

Title: Otto Mesloh Music and Papers, 1871-1913

ID: 12/9/131

Primary Creator: Mesloh, Otto (1867-1923)

Extent: 2.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized in two series: Series 1, Original and Published Music, 1871-1902 and Series 2, Personal Papers, 1888-1913. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically by title and Series 2 is unarranged.

Date Acquired: 05/29/2013

Subjects: Band Musicians, Bands, Music - Instruction and study, Sousa, John Philip

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of original and published music, photographs, correspondence, dairies, maps, cornet and flute method books, and a flute documenting Mesloh's career as a musician with the John Philip Sousa Band and the Elite Musical Four, music teacher between 1870 and 1913.

Biographical Note

Otto Friedrich Mesloh was born in New Bremen, Ohio on February 26, 1867 to John Henry and Wilhelmina (Boesel) Mesloh. Although a machinist by trade, according to Karl R. Mesloh, "his love of music won out and Otto became a professional musician." His mother and two sisters, Emma and Dora Mesloh, were all pianists. As a young musician Otto played both cornet, flute, piccolo, and saxophone with The Big Six Band of Springfield, Ohio, and traveled with the Waite Comedy Company and the Bubb and Bennett and Waite's Western Company ensembles. He performed as a cornetist with the John Philip Sousa Band between September 7 and December 4, 1898. He also played as the band's cornet soloist durng the ensemble's Manhattan Beach concerts between June 17 and September 4, 1899. Other military bands that Mesloh performed with included the 69th Regimental Band, Callahan's New York Marine Band, the British Bards Band, and Somerset's Military Band.

After departing the Sousa Band in 1899, Mesloh joined the Elite Musicial Four, considered at that time to be one of of the greatest musical vaudeville teams which performed a variety of popular music selections on cornets, flugelphones, saxophones, and xylophones. The quartet was involved in a serious train derailment on June 11, 1906 when it was returning to New York City from a performance in Atlantic City. The ensemble's manager, George Van Duzen, was killed and Mesloh was badly injured. Mesloh was eventually able to continue his career as a performer and teacher in 1908, the injuries that he sufferred from this train accident impacted his work as a musician for the rest of his life.

Subject/Index Terms

Band Musicians
Bands
Music - Instruction and study
Sousa, John Philip

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: Susan Boecker Durnbaugh

Acquisition Method: Gift. The items donated by Susan Boecker Durnbaugh, Otto Mesloh's great niece, were made in memory of her mother, Margaret Henning Boecker, Otto Mesloh's niece, and her grandmother, Emma Mesloh Henning, Otto Mesloh's sister.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Original and published music, 1871-1902],
[Series 2: Personal Papers, 1888-1913],
[All]

Series 2: Personal Papers, 1888-1913

Consists of newspaper clippings, post card images and Meslohs detailed description of the 1906 Jersey Central Railroad train wreck, travel dairies, measurments for a Sousa Band uniform, scrapbook, travel maps, and a portrait documenting Mesloh's music career between 1888 and 1913. The materials are unarranged. Of particular interest is Mesloh's detailed account of the 1906 train accident that nearly ended his career as a musician.

Box 10

Folder 1: Program, 1905
Folder 2: Postcards and photographs of 1906 train accident, 1906
Folder 3: Personal account of train accident, c. 1906
Folder 4: Newspaper clipping-photo of Sousa Band in Philadelphia, undated
Folder 5: Tailor measurements, 1896
Folder 6: Newspapers, 1908-1913

Box 11

Folder 1: Travel diary, 1888-1894
Folder 2: Travel diary; Musical Mutual Protective Union diary, 1898-1899
Folder 3: Musical Mutual Protective Union diaries, 1899-1900
Folder 4: Musical Mutual Protective Union diaries, 1901-1902
Folder 5: Musical Mutual Protective Union diary, 1903
Folder 6: Musical Mutual Protective Union diary, 1904
Folder 7: Musical Mutual Protective Union diary, 1905

Box 12

Folder 1: Oversized maps, 1891-1906

Boston, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

Boston, 1894. J. F. Murray.

Brooklyn, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

Chicago, 1894. Matthews-Northrup.

Chicago, 1898.Rand, McNally, and Co.

Chicago, 1898. Rufus Blanchard.

Cincinnati, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

Cleveland, 1894. Rand, McNally, and Co.

Cleveland, 1894. Matthews-Northrup.

Columbus, 1897. R. L. Polk and Co.

Denver, 1906. Geo. S. Clason.

Minneapolis, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

Milwaukee, 1891. Matthews-Northrup.

Milwaukee, 1896. Rand, McNally, and Co.

Folder 2: Oversized maps, 1886-1896

Kansas City, 1893. Rand, McNally, and Co.

New Jersey, 1893. Rand, McNally, and Co.

New York, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

New York, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

New York, 1892. Rand, McNally, and Co.

New Orleans, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

Niagara Falls, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

Pennsylvania, 1886. Matthews-Northrup.

Pittsburg, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

Philadelphia, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

San Francisco, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

St John, 1896. J. S. Knowles.

St Louis, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

St Louis, 1896. Woodward and Tiernan Printing.

St Paul, 1895. Matthews-Northrup.

Toledo, 1892. Rand-McNally and Co.

United States, 1891. Matthews-Northrup.

Washington City, 1893. Matthews-Northrup.

Box 13

Folder 1: Photocopies of Mesloh scrapbook, undated
Item 1: Mesloh portrait, undated

Item 1: Berteling Flute (New York) [2013.1209131.001], c. 1890

Boehm model flute used by Otto Mesloh after leaving the Sousa Band. Made from Grenadilla with nickel-plated keys, good condition.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Original and published music, 1871-1902],
[Series 2: Personal Papers, 1888-1913],
[All]