Chicago Sheet Music Collection, 1845-1871 | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Collection Overview

Title: Chicago Sheet Music Collection, 1845-1871

ID: 01/01/MSS00115

Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Library

Extent: 6.0 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement:

Arrangement reflects original ordering by the University Library in 15 volumes, which is primary ordered chronologically by acquisition date, then alphabetically by composer last name and title of the composition within volumes.

Volume 1: alphabetically by composer last name then title.

Volumes 2-5: chronologically by publication date across volumes (v. 2 1849-1861, v. 3 1862-1865, v. 4 1865-1871, v. 5 1871- undated) then alphabetically by composer and title within each volume.

Volumes 6-7, 9-11 contain imprints ordered alphabetically by composer last name and title across volumes in the following order: v.6 (A-E), v. 7 (F-K), v. 11 (L-O), v. 9 (R-V), v. 10 (W).

Volume 8 and volumes 12-15 are ordered alphabetically by composer last name and title within each volume.

The physical collection has been rehoused into 20 boxes, ordered continuously by item based off of the original call and volume numbers. See the finding aid for a box/item listing.

Date Acquired: 08/01/1939

Subjects: H. M. Higgins (Publisher), Higgins Brothers (Chicago, Ill.), Lyon & Healy, Music publishing -- Illinois -- Chicago, Root & Cady, United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865

Forms of Material: Sheet Music

Languages: English, French, German, Italian

Abstract

A collection of 19th century sheet music printed in Chicago, Illinois before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Chicago Sheet Music Collection is a collection of 19th century sheet music printed in Chicago, Illinois before the Great Fire of 1871. It consists of a wide range of popular music from the time, including popular vocal and piano pieces, songs, ballads, waltzes, polkas, marches, comic pieces, opera selections, and parlor music. Thematic strengths include the American Civil War; stage shows and productions by comic actors, opera stars, minstrel performers, and family singing troupes; Chicago businesses and social organizations; and social issues such as temperance, reconstruction, and women's suffrage.

The items in the collection were predominantly published by the Chicago firms Root & Cady, H.M. Higgins, Lyon & Healy, and the DeMotte Brothers and their associated national imprints. Consisting of approximately 850 items, the collection was assembled by the University of Illinois Library between 1939-1943. Volumes 1-5, 8, 12, 14 and 15 contain music published and printed in Chicago, while volumes 6-7, 9-11, 13, and 15 contain imprints published in other American cities with Chicago distributors.

Collection Historical Note

In 1939, the University of Illinois began collecting sheet music printed in Chicago before the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in response to renewed interest in the academic community regarding Chicago’s role in music publishing during the Civil War and before the Fire. The Fire devastated the Chicago music industry, destroying the storefronts and inventories of most of the publishing houses. As a result, only one pre-Fire firm survived into the 20th century and information about the scale and national reach of the Chicago music publishing industry was largely forgotten. Between 1939 and 1943, the University Library amassed over 850 pieces of sheet music that either were printed in or would have been available in Chicago before 1871.

In 1941 the University Library hired a student assistant from the Library Science program to catalog and arrange the collection, Dena J. Polacheck Epstein (1916-2013). Epstein, who had a bachelor’s degree in music was inspired to write her master’s thesis, Music Publishing in Chicago before 1871: the Firm of Root & Cady, 1858-1871, using the Illinois collection, which was later serially published in the Music Library Association of America Notes journal between 1944-1946 and in a revised book edition in 1969, which has remained an influential work in the study of early American music publishing. Epstein later became a noted Music Librarian at the University of Chicago and an ethnomusicologist, best known for her foundational scholarship into early American Black folk music and her 1977 book Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War.

Sources:

Epstein, Dena. Interview by Chris D’Arpa. 14 March, 2008. Voices of Illinois Oral History Portal, University of Illinois Archives. https://www.library.illinois.edu/voices/collection-item/dena-epstein/, Accessed 28 February. 2023.

Epstein, Dena Julia Polacheck. “Music Publishing in Chicago Prior to 1871 : the Firm of Root & Cady, 1858-1871”. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1943.

Epstein, Dena J. Polacheck. Music Publishing in Chicago before 1871 : the Firm of Root & Cady, 1858-1871. Detroit: Information Coordinators, 1969.

Epstein, Dena J. "Music Publishing" in Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 2005

University of Illinois Library. Annual Report 1939-1940. University of Illinois Archives, 35/1/801.

Subject/Index Terms

H. M. Higgins (Publisher)
Higgins Brothers (Chicago, Ill.)
Lyon & Healy
Music publishing -- Illinois -- Chicago
Root & Cady
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865

Administrative Information

Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Alternate Extent Statement: 20 boxes (853 items)

Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions:

The RBML reproductions policies can be found here:

http://www.library.illinois.edu/rbx/collections/reproduction-services/

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would damage materials or involve violation of copyright law.

Acquisition Source: Purchased

Acquisition Method: Acquired between 1939-1943 through purchase installments from various rare book dealers including Edward H. Terry, L. E. Dicke, Fred Lockley, Wellman and Harry Dichter.

Related Publications: Epstein, Dena J. Polacheck. Music Publishing in Chicago before 1871: the Firm of Root & Cady, 1858-1871. Detroit: Information Coordinators, 1969.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
[Box 5],
[Box 6],
[Box 7],
[Box 8],
[Box 9],
[Box 10],
[Box 11],
[Box 12],
[Box 13],
[Box 14],
[Box 15],
[Box 16],
[Box 17],
[Box 18],
[Box 19],
[Box 20],
[All]

Box 5

Volume 4

Item 34: "Beneath the loved one's window: serenade," comp. W.J. Robjohn, 1866: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 35: "Grand Instrumental Medley: from Root & Cady's popular publications," comp. W.J. Robjohn, 1866: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 36: "On, on, on, the boys came marching!: or, the prisoner free,' comp. and lyrics by Geo. F. Root, 1865: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 36, cop. 2: "On, on, on, the boys came marching!: or, the prisoner free,' comp. and lyrics by Geo. F. Root, 1865: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 36, cop. 4: "On, on, on, the boys came marching!: or, the prisoner free,' comp. and lyrics by Geo. F. Root, 1865: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 37: "Orpheus: Opera by Offenbach. Fantasie for Piano," comp. F.W. Root, 1868: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 38: "Precious to thee!," comp. and lyrics by E. Towner Root, 1870: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 39: "Somewhere!," comp. and lyrics by Geo. F. Root, 1869: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 40: "I've no Mother now, I'm weeping: song and chorus," comp. and lyrics by T.S., 1865: Piano, voice. Published by Geo. F. Root & Sons
Item 41: "Zilla Ree," comp. and lyrics by P.G. Salis, 1866: Piano, voice. Published by Lyon & Healy.
Item 42: "Sunset" (from Idyls of the Praire: Receitations for the piano composed by Hermann S. Saroni; no. 3), comp. Hermann S. Saroni, 1868: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 43: "Meet me 'neath the old elm tree," comp. and lyrics by Wm. Seibert, 1868: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 44: "The Sorosis polka," comp. Geo. Stevens, 1868: Piano. Published by De Motte Bros.
Item 45: "Lilla is an angel now!: a quartette," comp. T.R. Walker, lyrics by T.D.C. Miller, 1866: Piano, voice (quartet). Published by Root & Cady.
Item 46: "O how fast the days are passing: song and chorus," comp. A. Weaver, lyrics by E.B. Dewing, 1867: Piano, voice. Published by Lyon & Healy.
Item 47: "She sleeps beneath the elms" (from Six Songs by J. P. Webster; no. 1), comp. J.P. Webster, lyrics by Josephine Furman, 1864/1865: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 48: "The sounds of the sea," comp. and lyrics by J.P. Webster, 1867: Piano, voice. Published by Lyon & Healy.
Item 48, cop. 2: "The sounds of the sea," comp. and lyrics by J.P. Webster, 1867: Piano, voice. Published by Lyon & Healy.
Item 49: "Twill be summer time by and by: song and chorus," comp. J.P. Webster, lyrics by J.L. Bates, 1865: Piano, voice. Published by Lyon & Healy.
Item 50: "Woman is going to vote" (from Songs of the Present Time: Melodies of beauty, words of sense, ideas of progress. By J. P. Webster; series 1), comp. J.P. Webster, lyrics by Luke Collin, 1868: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 51: "The boys in blue are coming home: song and chorus," comp. A.E. Wimmerstedt, lyrics by S.H.M. Byers, 1865: Piano, voice. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 52: "The last rose of summer: with brilliant variations for piano," comp. Addison P. Wyman, 1869: Piano. Published by Lyon & Healy.

Volume 5

Item 1: "Good night, my child! = Gut nacht du mein herziges Kind," comp. and lyrics by Franz Abt., undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 2: "When the swallows homeward fly = Wenn die Schwalben heimwärts zieh'n," comp. and lyrics by Franz Abt., undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 3: "Ecstasy = L'estasi: valse brillante" (from Songs & Ballads of Mlle Parepa; no. 5), comp. Luigi Arditi, lyrics by Claude Vincent, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 4: "Fanfare militaire" (from Gleanings: A collection of popular & standard pieces for the piano), comp. J. Ascher, undated: Piano. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 5: "Maiden's prayer = La priére d'une vierge" (from 12 standard pieces for piano), comp. T. Badarzewska, undated: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 6: "Why do summer roses fade" (from Stray Leaves: a sellection of popular songs from various authors), comp. Geo. Barker, lyrics by J.E. Carpenter, undated: Piano, voice. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 7: "Five o'clock in the morning: ballad" (from Songs & Ballads of Mlle Parepa; no. 1), comp. and lyrics by Claribel, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 8: "I cannot sing the old songs" (from Beauties of English song), comp. and lyrics by Claribel, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 9: "Janet's Choice" (from Songs and ballads from Over the Sea; no. 12), comp. and lyrics by Claribel, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 10: "We'd better bide a wee" (from Beauties of English song), comp. and lyrics by Claribel, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 11: "Won't you tell me why, Robin?" (from Beauties of English song), comp. and lyrics by Claribel, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 12: "Maniac & Pestal Waltzes" (from Gleanings: A collection of popular & standard pieces for the piano), comp. F. Beyer, undated: Piano. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 13: "Morning star waltz: or, Schönbrunner waltz" (from The pianist's music-drawer: a collection of standard pieces by various authors), comp. F. Beyer, undated: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 14: "When the corn is waving, Annie dear" (from Songs and ballads from Over the Sea; no. 13), comp. Ch. Blamphin, lyrics by Ch. Blamphin, undated: Piano, voice. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 15: "Les Deux Anges: Morceau Caracteristique," comp. Jaques Blumenthal, undated: Piano. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 15, cop. 2: "Les Deux Anges: Morceau Caracteristique," comp. Jaques Blumenthal, undated: Piano. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 16: "La source: caprice" (from Gleanings: a collection of popular & Standard pieces for the piano), comp. J. Bumenthal, undated: Piano. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 17: "Comin' thro' the rye" (from Stray Leaves: a sellection of popular songs from various authors), undated: Piano, voice. Published by H.M. Higgins.
Item 18: "Corn Flower Valse" (from The Pianists Musical Library; no. 29), comp. C. Coote, Jr., undated: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 19: "Il Desiderio" (from The Pianist's Music-Drawer: A collection of standard pieces by various authors), comp. Henri Cramer, undated: Piano. Published by Root & Cady.
Item 20: "Il Desiderio: Pensèe Romantique," comp. H. Cramer, undated: Piano. Published by Higgins Bros.