Music & Musical Instruments

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. 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. In various ways, our collections find expression in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and in other public programs.

This sheet music for the song "The Lord Is My Shepherd (23rd Psalm)" was written and composed by John B. Marsh and published by the William. A. Pond and Co. of New York, New York in 1898.
Description
This sheet music for the song "The Lord Is My Shepherd (23rd Psalm)" was written and composed by John B. Marsh and published by the William. A. Pond and Co. of New York, New York in 1898. This cover is plain paper with black text, but the phrase “The Lord” is underlined by the image of a shepherd’s staff. The contralto solo was written with affectionate regard to Mr. Warren Pond.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1898
composer
Marsh, John B.
publisher
William A. Pond & Co.
ID Number
1982.0439.35
accession number
1982.0439
catalog number
1982.0439.35
This sheet music for the song "The Shepherd Boy" was written and composed by G. D. Wilson. The song was published by the Armstrong Music Co. of New York, New York in 1903.
Description
This sheet music for the song "The Shepherd Boy" was written and composed by G. D. Wilson. The song was published by the Armstrong Music Co. of New York, New York in 1903. The cover features an illustration of a shepherd boy sitting on rocks among sheep and doing his best to woo a girl.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1903
composer
Wilson, G. D.
publisher
Armstrong Music Publishing Company
ID Number
1982.0439.30
accession number
1982.0439
catalog number
1982.0439.30
This sheet music is for the song “St. Nicholas Schottisch.” The song was written and composed by T. Franklin Bassford around 1952. The cover features a lithograph of a crowded city street outside a large department store.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “St. Nicholas Schottisch.” The song was written and composed by T. Franklin Bassford around 1952. The cover features a lithograph of a crowded city street outside a large department store. Bassford was accepted to the Paris Conservatory of Music but died when his ship was lost at sea in 1856.
Location
Currently not on view
composer
Bassford, T. Franklin
publisher
Walters, H.
ID Number
1983.0227.06
accession number
1983.0227
catalog number
1983.0227.06
This sheet music is for the song “In the Chapel in the Moonlight” written and composed by Billy Hill. The song was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Company Inc. of New York City in 1936.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “In the Chapel in the Moonlight” written and composed by Billy Hill. The song was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Company Inc. of New York City in 1936. The bright yellow cover features an illustration of a man standing in a chapel in the moonlight, signed by Barbelle. There is a large inset photograph of performer Phil Regan on the right of the cover.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by American artist and designer Albert Wilfred Barbelle (1887-1957). With a prolific career spanning over forty years, Barbelle created cover art for sheet music and albums.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1936
composer; lyricist
Hill, Billy
publisher
Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.
ID Number
1983.0313.09
accession number
1983.0313
catalog number
1983.0313.09
This sheet music is for the song “Easter Parade” from the revue show As Thousands Cheer. Irving Berlin wrote the lyrics and composed the music to the song. Irving Berlin Inc.
Description (Brief)
This sheet music is for the song “Easter Parade” from the revue show As Thousands Cheer. Irving Berlin wrote the lyrics and composed the music to the song. Irving Berlin Inc. of New York City published this sheet music in 1933.The bright red cover has a bottom silhouette illustration of people jubilantly marching in the Easter parade.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1933
composer
Berlin, Irving
publisher
Irving Berlin, Inc.
ID Number
1983.0424.144
accession number
1983.0424
catalog number
1983.0424.144
This sheet music is for the song “White Christmas” from the film Holiday Inn. Irving Berlin wrote and composed the song, and Irving Berlin Inc. published this sheet music in 1942.
Description (Brief)
This sheet music is for the song “White Christmas” from the film Holiday Inn. Irving Berlin wrote and composed the song, and Irving Berlin Inc. published this sheet music in 1942. The cover has several different still photographs from the film, which starred Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, and Virginia Dale.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1942
composer
Berlin, Irving
publisher
Irving Berlin, Inc.
ID Number
1983.0424.148
accession number
1983.0424
catalog number
1983.0424.148
This sheet music is for the song “The Maiden's Prayer” which was composed by Thécla (Tekla) Badarzewska in 1856. The sheet music was published by the Armstrong Music Publishing Company in the early 1900s.
Description (Brief)
This sheet music is for the song “The Maiden's Prayer” which was composed by Thécla (Tekla) Badarzewska in 1856. The sheet music was published by the Armstrong Music Publishing Company in the early 1900s. The white and red cover features an inset illustration of a maiden kneeling before a cross and candles in front of her window, as light shines down on her face. This song was published in Polish and French prior to being published in English, which is why the sub-title is “La Priére D’une Vierge.”
Location
Currently not on view
composer
Badarzewska, Thecla
publisher
Armstrong Music Publishing Company
ID Number
1983.0424.015
accession number
1983.0424
catalog number
1983.0424.015
This sheet music is for the song “Rock Me to Sleep Mother.” The song’s lyrics were written by Florence Percy (the pen name for Elizabeth Akers Allen) and the music was composed by John H. Hewitt. The sheet music was published by Julian A.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Rock Me to Sleep Mother.” The song’s lyrics were written by Florence Percy (the pen name for Elizabeth Akers Allen) and the music was composed by John H. Hewitt. The sheet music was published by Julian A. Selby of Columbia, South Carolina in 1861. The song expresses a desire to give up the sorrows of life and go back to being a child, being rocked to sleep by mother.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1861
lyricist
Percy, Florence
composer
Hewitt, John H.
publisher
Selby, Julian A.
ID Number
1983.0365.03
accession number
1983.0365
catalog number
1983.0365.03

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