Religion - Overview
One hallmark of the American experience captured in the Museum's collections is the nation's broad diversity of religious faiths. Artifacts range from Thomas Jefferson's Bible to a huge "Sunstone" sculpture carved for a Mormon temple in Illinois in 1844 to a household shrine from the home of a Pueblo Indian in the 1990s. Furniture, musical instruments, clothing, cooking ware, and thousands of prints and figures in the collections have all played roles in the religious lives of Americans. The most comprehensive collections include artifacts from Jewish and Christian European Americans, Catholic Latinos, Protestant Arab Americans, Buddhist and Christian Asian Pacific Americans, and Protestant African Americans. One notable group is the Vidal Collection of carved figures known as santos and other folk religious material from the practice of Santeria in Puerto Rico.
"Religion - Overview" showing 18 items.
Page 1 of 2
Philadelphia, seat of a Christian church in apostolic times. [Active no. 11787 : stereo interpositive.]
- Notes
- Currently stored in box 3.2.40 [32]
- Company acc. no. 128226
- Date
- 1895
- 1890-1920
- 1900-1910
- publisher
- Underwood & Underwood
- Local number
- RSN 24745
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
“In the Chapel in the Moonlight” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- 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.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1936
- composer; lyricist
- Hill, Billy
- publisher
- Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.
- ID Number
- 1983.0313.09
- accession number
- 1983.0313
- catalog number
- 1983.0313.09
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“The Maiden's Prayer” Sheet Music
- 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
(11) Jesus falls the First Time. [Stations of the Cross : Active no. 1317 : stereo photonegative]
- Notes
- Company catalog card included
- Same as RSN 9854. Orig. no. 7420
- Currently stored in box 2.1.10 [71], moved from [107]
- Date
- 1895
- 1900-1910
- publisher
- Underwood & Underwood
- American Stereoscopic Co
- Subject
- Jesus Christ
- Local number
- RSN 9853
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
(12) Jesus Meets His Mother. [Stations of the Cross series, Active no. 1318 : stereo photonegative
- Notes
- Company catalog card included
- Same as RSN 9856
- Currently stored in box 2.1.10 [71], moved from [107]. Orig. no. 7421
- Date
- 1895
- 1900-1910
- publisher
- Underwood & Underwood
- American Stereoscopic Co
- Subject
- Mary Blessed Virgin Saint
- Jesus Christ
- Local number
- RSN 9855
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
(12) Jesus Meets His Mother. 1318 photonegative.
- Notes
- Company catalog card included
- Same as RSN 9855
- Currently stored in box 2.1.10 [71], moved from [107]
- Date
- 1895
- 1900-1910
- publisher
- Underwood & Underwood
- American Stereoscopic Co
- Subject
- Jesus Christ
- Mary Blessed Virgin Saint
- Local number
- RSN 9856
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
(15) Jesus Falls the Second Time. 1321 photonegative
- Notes
- Company catalog card included
- Same as RSN 9861
- Currently stored in box 2.1.10 [71], moved from [107]
- Date
- 1900-1910
- publisher
- Underwood & Underwood
- American Stereoscopic Co
- Subject
- Jesus Christ
- Local number
- RSN 9862
- Video number 09134
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
“The Shepherd Boy” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- 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
- Date made
- 1903
- composer
- Wilson, G. D.
- publisher
- Armstrong Music Publishing Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.30
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.30
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“The Lord Is My Shepherd (23rd Psalm)” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- 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
- Date made
- 1898
- composer
- Marsh, John B.
- publisher
- William A. Pond and Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.35
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.35
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Rock Me to Sleep Mother” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- 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
- Date made
- 1861
- lyricist
- Percy, Florence
- composer
- Hewitt, John H.
- composer; lyricist
- Lady of Richmond, Virginia
- publisher
- Selby, Julian A.
- ID Number
- 1983.0365.03
- accession number
- 1983.0365
- catalog number
- 1983.0365.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
