American Song Sheet Collection, ca. 1840-1860

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

Do not serve originals; serve photocopies.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

American Song Sheet Collection, ca. 1840-1860. Accession 39848b, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Summary

Creator:
American Song Sheet printers in New York City and Boston
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

American Song Sheet Collection, ca. 1840-1860. Accession 39848b, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Consists of American song sheets chiefly printed circa 1840-1860 in New York, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts. Includes works by Stephen C. Foster. Song sheets note performances by Dan Emmett, George White, and Charley White. There are also song sheets composed for performance by minstrel groups. Topics of songs include New York gangs and Tammany Hall, slavery and antislavery movements, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Irish immigrants, temperance, Bowery Street activity in New York City, the Crimean War, firefighters and firefighting, national politics, and African-American social life. Principal printer of song sheets was J. Andrews. Also includes some newspaper clippings of popular songs. Collector of song sheets undetermined.

These song sheets originally were adhered to the pages of a ledger in the Business Records Collection, acc. 39848a.

Biographical / historical:

Before advanced audio technologies were introduced in the late 19th century, Americans learned popular music from printed song sheets. Song sheets do not contain measured music but rather are single printed six by eight inch sheets with lyrics. Their intense popularity reached its peak during the mid-19th century, from circa 1840 to around 1870. Song sheets are an early example of American popular media and offer a unique perspective on the political, social, and economic life of the era. To produce the song sheets printers used a raised plate to ink engraved illustrations and text onto the paper. Competing printers often printed the same song sheet but with a different border or illustration to entice collectors.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Hugh C. Dischinger, 12 August 2002.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical by song title.

Physical location:
Personal Papers Collection, Acc. 39848b
Physical description:
.225 cubic feet (87 leaves)