Music & Musical Instruments

This trombone was made by F. van Cauwelaert in Brussels, Belgium, around 1900-1925. It is a B-flat tenor valved trombone, with 3 twin piston valves. It is made of brass with nickel silver finger buttons. The trombone is engraved:

F. VAN CAUWELAERT
BREVETE
BRUXELLES
O.H. JACOBS
SOLE AGENT
FOR U.S.A.
KANSAS CITY MO.

This sheet music is for the song “The Desert Song,” with book and lyrics by Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Frank Mendel and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1926.

”The Desert Song” was featured in the 1929 Warner Bros. Pictures pre-code operetta film, The Desert Song, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starred John Boles, Carlotta King, Louise Fazenda, and Myrna Loy.

This sheet music is for the song “I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You),” with words by Roy Turk and music by Fred E Ahlert. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1928.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by American artist and illustrator Sydney Lefkowitz (Leff) (1901-2005). Leff began his career as a commercial artist while he was still in high school. He would produce sheet music covers through the 1940s and subsequently moved on to generating advertising for Madison Avenue clients.

This trombone was made by Lyon & Healy in Chicago, Illinois, around 1890-1920. It is a B-flat tenor slide trombone. This trombone is made of silver-plated brass. Accessioned with period case. This trombone is inscribed:

Lyon & Healy
Am'n Maker
Chicago
U.S.A.

This printed, typed, and hand-written document is the Chicago Music Publishing Company's royalty agreement for the song "Walking Blues" by composers Gertrude "Ma" Rainey and Lovie Austin. The document was signed by the composers and witnessed and signed by the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) representative, J. Mayo Williams, on December 12, 1923. As per the agreement, Rainey and Austin would receive “two cents for each printed pianoforte copy of the said work sold by the PUBLISHER in the United States and Canada only,” as well as “a sum equal to one-fourth of any and all royalties that the PUBLISHER shall actually receive from the use of said musical composition for mechanical reproduction less ten per cent (10%) for cost of collection in the form of all player rolls, records, discs, or other mechanical reproduction of the musical composition.”

Gertrude"Ma" Rainey (born Gertrude Pridgett, 1886-1939) was a pioneering African American blues singer and entertainer, who became known as "The Mother of the Blues." Early in her career, Rainey was popular on the theatrical circuit known as TOBA (Theater Owners Booking Association). Between 1923 and 1928, she made more than 100 recordings for her record label, Paramount. Rainey continued to tour and record up to her retirement in 1935.

This banjo ukulele was made by an unknown maker in the United States around 1925-1930. It is a Four-String Banjo Ukulele, made of different colored woods, 17 frets, friction tuning pegs. A similar instrument appears in a 1918 Wurlitzer catalog (No. 110).

During the 1920s and 1930s banjo ukuleles were manufactured by the thousands. The majority of these instruments were inexpensive. They were easy to play, and produced a louder sound than the traditional Hawaiian ukulele, which created an irresistible appeal.

As per Dee Cook Leggett, this banjo ukulele was given to her mother, the donor, Elma Grace Hanika Cook, by Elma's mother, Nellie Ann Harmon Hanika as a high school graduation present.

This sheet music is for the song “Yes! We Have No Bananas,” by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn. It was published by Skidmore Music Co., Inc. in New York, New York in 1923.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by brothers Joseph B. Wohlman (1899-1963) and Solomon (Saul) Wohlman (1895-1975) who formed Wohlman Studios around 1920. Wohlman Studios generated several hundred music covers and graphics during their three decade career.

This saxophone was made by the C. G. Conn Ltd. in Elkhart, Indiana, around 1920. It a C-melody saxophone, serial #61640. It is tuned to the key of C, enabling the amateur player to play standard sheet music, without having to transpose in the keys of B-flat or E-flat, like most saxophones. The saxophone is engraved:

(on bell):

MADE BY
C. G. CONN Ltd.
ELKART
IND.

(and on back):

PAT'D DEC. 8, 1914
1119954
C61640
L

James E. Frew played this saxophone during the early 20th century. His family donated it to the museum in 1979 as an example of a unique C Melody saxophone available in early 20th century America.

This saxophone features U. S. Patent #1119954, dated December 8, 1914, by William S. Haynes for an improvement in musical wind instruments.

This Appalachian dulcimer was made by E. M Garrison in Marion County, Ohio, around 1910-1920. It is a single-bout dulcimer made of maple, with a wood bridge, 16 metal frets, 2 moon-shaped sound holes and 2 star-shaped sound holes, carved out pegbox with three wood friction tuning pegs, and a stylized violin-like head.

Anne Grimes (1912-2004) was an American journalist, musician, and historian of American (particularly Midwestern) folklore. Grimes studied voice and piano at Ohio Wesleyan and initiated graduate studies at Ohio State University. Following her education, Grimes was a music teacher, music and dance critic, and radio host. After WWII, Grimes began collecting and documenting folk songs throughout Ohio, as well as collecting Appalachian dulcimers and zithers. She would continue this work, performing, recording, and lecturing on instruments from her collection throughout the rest of her career.

This saxophone was made for Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog by Martin Band Instrument Company in Elkhart, Indiana, about 1927. It is low-pitch Alto Saxophone Perfacktone model in E-flat, serial #6642, made of brass with pearl keys. Accessioned with original case. The saxophone is engraved:

PERFACKTONE
LOW PITCH
A
6642

This saxophone was purchased through Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog by the donor’s brother, Dr. Henry C. Sivik, in 1929. Sivik played this saxophone from 1929 to 1933. He gave this saxophone to the donor in 1939, who played it in several high school and community groups until 1967.