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Mack Allen. side 1: A Warning to Boys; side 2: A Warning to Girls (Harmony 729-H)
78 rpm

Mack Allen is a pseudonym on Harmony for Vernon Dalhart.

Harmony Records was a division of Columbia Records from 1925 to 1932. It was a budget label that was comprised of original recordings identical to that of Columbia’s other budget labels, Velvet Tone Records and Diva Records.

This harmonica was made by Elvin in Japan, undetermined date. It is a Toyland model, with 8 single holes and an undetermined number of reeds. This harmonica has a red wooden comb; metal cover plates attached to the top and bottom. In original package. The harmonica is embossed:

“TOYLAND”
HARMONICA
JAPAN

This ticket is from a concert given by Jenny Lind at the Music Fund Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19, 1850. The ticket is printed:

THIS ENTITLES THE BEARER TO A
$7.00 SEAT
At Mad'lle Jenny Lind's Concert,
Saturday Evening, October 19, 1850.
The Seat will be pointed out by the Ushers.
P.T. Barnum

Johanna Maria “Jenny” Lind (1820-1887) was a Swedish soprano, famously known as the "Swedish Nightingale." She was one of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century. American showman P. T. Barnum contracted Lind to undertake a concert tour throughout the United States beginning in 1850. Lind terminated her contract with Barnum amicably in 1851 and continued to tour for nearly a year under her own management.

Advance publicity created such a demand for concert tickets that Barnum sold them at auction. Throughout the tour, popular frenzy for Jenny Lind tickets and merchandise created “Lindomania” raising large sums of money for Lind and Barnum. Lind donated much of her profits to charitable causes.

This snare drum was made by Duplex Manufacturing Co. in St. Louis, Missouri, around 1897-1910. It has a stained wood shell with skin heads. The hoops are made of wood and have 20 sets of tensioning rods attached with screws on the inside of the hoops. The drum has a metal screw device to active the gut snares. There is a cast metal label on the top hoop that is inscribed:

DUPLEX DRUM
MADE BY
THE DUPLEX
MFG. CO.

(and a metal badge around the vent hole that is cast):

DUPLEX
PAT. 83-87-97

There are three United States patents associated with this drum:

U.S. Patent #274900 – “New and Improved Tension-Rod for Drum Heads,” Emile Boulanger, April 3, 1883

U.S. Patent #371415 – “Drum,” Emile Boulanger, October 11, 1887

U.S. Patent #578198 – “Drum Construction,” Emile Boulanger, March 2, 1897

This drum was used by William T. Armstrong (1879-1965), orchestra leader and musician in vaudeville and silent film theaters. Armstrong grew up in South River, New Jersey and began playing drums at the age of 14. He continued his musical career through the mid-1910s, after which, Armstrong began work in banking and finance. This artifact is part of a collection of drums, sound effect instruments, and other percussion instruments used by Armstrong.

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Honky Tonk Blues I; side 2: Honky Tonk Blues II (Circle 87/88), from the album, Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 12: I'm the Winin' Boy (Circle Limited Edition #306).
78 rpm.

This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord. The set is comprised of interviews and musical performances of musician Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1890-1941) recorded by American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915-2002) at the Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, from May 23, 1938 to December 14, 1938. In the interviews, Morton recounts his experiences, both in New Orleans and on the road, as a popular musician of the early twentieth century.

The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord limited edition record set was issued by Circle Sound Inc., incrementally with two albums every three months, beginning in late 1947. The recordings were pressed on red vinylite. Album design and typography for this set was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

This button is from the Southern California Hot Jazz Society. It is made of off-white paper with orange and yellow ink covered with a clear film, on a two-piece metal button with a straight-style pin back. The button is printed:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
[image of trumpet]
HOT JAZZ SOCIETY

The Southern California Hot Jazz Society was founded in 1950. The idea for this jazz society, originated in 1949 by Floyd Levin on his Jazz on Parade radio program. Considered as one of the oldest jazz clubs in the United States, SCJHS was a non-profit organization that promoted Dixieland or “Hot Jazz” music originating from New Orleans in the early 20th century. In 2016, SCHJS ceased its operations.

Floyd Levin (1922-2007) was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. His numerous reviews, profiles, and articles were published in magazines such as Down Beat, Jazz Journal International, Metronome, and American Rag. He also authored Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians. Items in this collection (2011.3086) were acquired from Levin’s attendance at Jazz Festivals, conferences, and other music events.

This sheet music is for the song "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," by Paul Roberts and Shelby Darrell. It was published by Bob Miller, Inc. in New York, New York in 1942. The cover features a man with his hat over his heart with an American flag in the background. As indicated on 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 numerous works of cover art for sheet music and albums.

This harmonica was made by an undetermined maker in Japan, undetermined date. It is a Toys “R” Us World Star model, with 16 single holes and 32 reeds. This harmonica has a brown and black wooden comb with metal cover plates attached to top and bottom. In original sealed packaging. The harmonica is engraved:

MUSIC MASTER

This harmonica was distributed by Lash-Tamaron Distributors in Rochelle Park, New Jersey.

This roller organ roll was made by an undetermined maker in the United States, around 1897-1899. It is roll #1090 - "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," by Paul Dresser, This roll is playable in 20-note roller organs.

This roller organ roll features U. S. Patent #333390, dated July 14, 1885, by Henry B. Morris for a barrel for mechanical musical instruments.

Original artwork, of page 22, from the book Howdy Doody's Lucky Trip, written by Edward Kean with illustrations by Harry McNaught, and published by Simon & Schuster in New York, New York, in 1953.

In addition to Howdy Doody's Lucky Trip, Harry McNaught illustrated several Little Golden Books, including the Wizard of Oz series from the 1950s, the popular Animal Babies and several Big Golden Books on nature and science. More recently, he created the images for two Little Golden Books on the characters from the Muppets.

From 1947 to 1960, the Howdy Doody Show was the leading children’s TV program in the United States. The creator of the Howdy Doody character, “Buffalo” Bob Smith, first performed him as a radio character. When the show transitioned to TV, Frank Paris created the new puppet, but left the show (with the puppet) in 1948 to disputes over merchandising rights. Velma Dawson created the now ubiquitous Howdy Doody that debuted in 1949. This Howdy Doody became popular spokes character, hawking sponsored products on the show or in print.