Music & Musical Instruments - Overview
The Museum's music collections contain more than 5,000 instruments of American and European heritage. These include a quartet of 18th-century Stradivari stringed instruments, Tito Puente's autographed timbales, and the Yellow Cloud guitar that belonged to Prince, to name only a few. Several of these rare instruments can be heard in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players and in other public programs. Music collections also include jukeboxes and synthesizers, square-dancing outfits and sheet music, archival materials, oral histories, and recordings of performances at the Museum. The vast Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated Sheet Music is a remarkable window into the American past in words, music, and visual imagery. The Duke Ellington and Ruth Ellington Boatwright collections contain handwritten music compositions, sound recordings, business records, and other materials documenting the career of this renowned musician.
"Music & Musical Instruments - Overview" showing 139 items.
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Martin Harp Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This harp guitar was made by C.F. Martin and Company of Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1905. Harp guitars were designed to provide a fuller bass response and more harmonic possibilities than standard guitars. According to Martin company records, this harp guitar was shipped in 1906 to Lewis & Son, violin dealers, in Chicago. The donor’s father, Fred Norman Vanderwalker is believed to have been the first owner of this harp guitar. This 000-28 model guitar, serial #10163, is one of five known harp guitars made by C.F. Martin and Company, none of which were made to the same specifications. It is notable for its double mahogany neck arrangement, large body style, highly figured rosewood ribs and back, and a harp peghead in the Viennese style of Johann Stauffer, who apprenticed in the Austrian shop of C.F. Martin.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1905
- maker
- C. F. Martin & Co.
- ID Number
- 1992.0179.01
- accession number
- 1992.0179
- catalog number
- 1992.0179.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
"Down Where the Werzburger Flows" Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- The sheet music for the song, “Down Where the Wurzburger Flows” was published by Harry Von Tilzer in New York, New York in 1902. It was written by Vincent P. Bryan and composed by Harry Von Tilzer. The cover sheet has an image of Ruth Garnold, a popular singer at the time whose image was used to sell copies of the tune. The image on the cover resembles the bottom of a wooden cask of beer, as the song celebrated the drinking of the German brew, Wurzburger.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1902
- composer
- Von Tilzer, Harry
- lyricist
- Bryan, Vincent P.
- user
- Woodside, Lura
- performer
- Garnold, Ruth
- publisher
- Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Co.
- ID Number
- 1979.1154.06
- accession number
- 1979.1154
- catalog number
- 1979.1154.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Little Mother” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song, "Little Mother" was by Erno Rapee and Lew Pollack. The music was published by Sherman, Clay and Company of San Francisco, California in 1907. The cover has a purple background with a photograph of a woman sitting by a spinning wheel thinking of her four sons. Subtitled “Mütterchen,” the song is a lullaby waltz from the William Fox production of “Four Sons.” There is an inset photograph of Bob Olsen on the lower left hand corner of the cover.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1907
- composer; lyricist
- Rapee, Erno
- Pollack, Lew
- publisher
- Sherman, Clay and Co.
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.13
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.13
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Before the World Began” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song "Before the World Began" was written as a poem by Andrew B. Sterling and composed by Alfred Solman. The music was published by the Joe Morris Music Co. of New York, New York in 1917. The cover notes that the song was “introduced Harry Ellis, America’s Famous Tenor.” The “B” in “Before” of the title is written in a fancy script in red, and the first letter of most words on the cover is red.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900
- 1917
- lyricist
- Sterling, Andrew B.
- composer
- Solman, Alfred
- publisher
- Joe Morris Music Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.21
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.021
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Rosenbaum” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song "Rosenbaum" was written and composed by Fred Fischer and published by the Fred Fischer Music Publishing Company of New York, New York in 1908. The cover features an illustration of a soldier doll done by Gene Buck. The cover also has a photograph of Ben Welch on the lower right, a vaudevillian actor who would have performed this song.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1908
- composer; lyricist
- Fischer, Fred
- publisher
- Fred Fischer Music Pub. Co.
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.32
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.32
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Sweet Red Roses” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “Sweet Red Roses” was written by Effie Genee and composed by R. M. Stults. The music was originally published by William A. Pond and Co. of New York, New York in 1900, but this sheet music was published as a supplement to the New York Herald on June 7, 1903. The cover features an image of roses in a vase. Newspapers would often include these supplements in their Sunday editions to boost sales because of the popularity of sheet music during this time.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1900
- publisher
- William A. Pond and Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0440.03
- accession number
- 1982.0440
- catalog number
- 1982.0440.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Good Night Is But Your Last Good-Bye” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “Good Night Is but Your Last Good-Bye” was written and composed by Leo Friedman and Jeffrey T. Branen. The music was originally published by William C. Dunn & Co. of New York, New York in 1902, and appeared as a supplement to the New York Herald on July 12, 1902. The cover features a photograph of Jessie Bartlett Davis inside the “G” of “Good Night” in the title, and a circular illustration of a man walking away from a woman as she closes her fence gate.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1902
- composer
- Friedman, Leo
- Branen, Jeffrey T.
- publisher
- William Dunn and Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0440.05
- accession number
- 1982.0440
- catalog number
- 1982.0440.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“She's a Perfect Little Lady” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “She’s A Perfect Little Lady: or Treat Her as You Would a Sister of Your Own” was written by Andrew Sterling and composed by Barry Von Tilzer. The song was originally published by William C. Dunn and Co. of New York, New York in 1899, and this sheet appeared as a supplement to the New York Herald on March 9, 1902. The cover features an image of a lady in a fancy ruffled dress, with a flower, three Chinese lamps, and a faun playing a double pan flute.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1902
- lyricist
- Sterling, Andrew B.
- composer
- Von Tilzer, Harry
- publisher
- William Dunn and Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0440.06
- accession number
- 1982.0440
- catalog number
- 1982.0440.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“The Jack O'Lantern Girl” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “The Jack O’Lantern Girl” was written by Glen MacDonough and composed by Victor Herbert. The music was published by Witmark and Sons of New York, New York in 1904, and appeared as a supplement to the New York Herald on March 12, 1905. The cover features an illustration of “Jack O’ Lanterns” wearing trench coats and top hats behind a photo of Miss Bessie Clayton dancing “on point.” An inset photograph of Lew M. Fields is on the lower left. The cover notes that the song was “sung by Miss Bessie Clayon in “It Happened in Nordland.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1904
- publisher
- M. Witmark & Sons
- ID Number
- 1982.0440.07
- accession number
- 1982.0440
- catalog number
- 1982.0440.07
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“See Saw (Waltz Song)” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “See Saw (Waltz Song)” was written and composed by A. G. Crowe and published by Richard A. Saalfield of New York, New York in 1900. The cover calls the song “The popular See Saw Waltz,” and the text is interestingly jaunted diagonally on the cover.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1900
- publisher
- Richard A. Saalfield
- ID Number
- 1982.0440.15
- accession number
- 1982.0440
- catalog number
- 1982.0440.15
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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