The Whig campaign of 1840 against incumbent President Martin Van Buren established a pattern of predetermined imagery, from which later campaigns have seldom deviated. The Whigs adopted the symbols of the log cabin and hard cider to promote the candidacy of General William Henry Harrison. An outpouring of objects with designs of log cabins, such as this sheet music for “The Hard Cider Quick Step” from 1840, soon followed.
Black and white comic print of a woman sleeping on the couch with mouth wide open. Two insects are flying around her mouth. A bar of music appears below the title. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.
Black and white comic print of full length portrait of a man in a dress military uniform with sword, sash, spurs, and medals. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.
Black and white comic print of a woman waiting eagerly by a fence as a downcast man walks towards her. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.
This printed program is from a concert given by Jenny Lind at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. on June 13, 1851.
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 printed program is from a concert given by Jenny Lind at the Castle Garden in New York City on September 11, 1850. The cover features the portraits of Jenny Lind, promoter P.T. Barnum, baritone Giovani Belletti, and pianist, arranger and conductor Jules Benedict.
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 “Hollow Back Violin" was invented by William S. Mount of Stony Brook, New York. The patent model was made by Mount’s friend James H. Ward in 1852 and received U.S. Patent number 8,981. William Sidney Mount is best known as an important American genre painter. He also invented a steamboat paddle wheel, a two-hulled sailboat and a painting studio on wheels. Mount studied folk music, was fascinated by the violin and believed that a concave shape and a short soundpost would result in a fuller, richer, more powerful tone. He displayed his instruments in the 1853 New York World’s Fair Crystal Palace, demonstrating the hollow back model himself. The instruments were praised by contemporary musicians. This violin is made of a one-piece table of spruce, one-piece back of maple with irregular broad horizontal figure, ribs of slab-cut maple with faint irregular figure, neck of mildly figured maple with pegbox and scroll with attached black ears, and a yellow-brown varnish.
This printed program is from a concert given by Jenny Lind at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 1851.
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 gusle was made by an unknown maker in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, probably 19th century. It has a table of hide (missing) stretched and fastened to the body with 19 pins (16 missing), body, neck and stylized horse with rider of one-piece hardwood, one hardwood tuning peg; instrument is not varnished.
This instrument has a spoon-shaped body with an elongated narrow neck terminating in a carving of a mounted horseman, with no further ornamentation. The horseman is possibly a stylized representation of Milos Obilic, a 14th-century Serbian folk-hero known for defending his country against the invading Turks.
This printed program is from a concert given by Jenny Lind at the Musical Fund Hall in Philadelphia on October 19, 1850. The inside back cover features the portraits of Jenny Lind, promoter P.T. Barnum, baritone Giovani Belletti, and pianist, arranger and conductor Jules Benedict.
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.
Coat of dark blue with gold-colored buttons. Sky-blue trim indicating an infantry musician. Blue wool cap with black brim. Musician's insignia on crown.
General History
Most army musicians used their talent to provide signals in battle or cadence on marches. However, music went further than just imparting order. It provided vigor to weary souls or comfort to the distraught.
General Philip H. Sheridan loved music and took a personal interest in bands. Performing under fire was commonplace for bands under his command. They performed at the front during battle playing the liveliest airs in their repertory. At Dinwiddie Court House, Sheridan massed all his musicians on the firing line with the order to “play the gayest tunes in their books. . . Play them loud and keep on playing them, and never mind if a bullet goes through a trombone, or even a trombonist, now and then.”
This harpsichord was made by Nicolaus De Quoco in Florence, Italy in 1694. It is a single manual harpsichord with a compass of C - c3 (no C#), and a disposition of 2 x 8’, 1 x 4’, with ornate iron hand stops. The harpsichord has a spruce soundboard, a carved cartouche on nameboard and keywell end blocks, and boxwood-covered naturals and ebony-covered accidentals with boxwood inlay. The the wrestplank is inscribed:
NICOLAUS DE QUOCO FECIT ANNO MDCLXXXXIII.
The separable outer case is painted dark green with scroll designs and birds in orange and yellow colors on top. The interior of the cover is painted with a scene probably representing Caesar crossing the Rubicon.
Typical Italian harpsichords were of much lighter construction than those made in northern Europe - the sides of the case were only about an eighth of an inch thick. These fragile instruments were usually placed in heavier, often elaborately decorated, outer cases from which the harpsichord could be removed.
Little is known of Nicolaus De Quoco except that he lived and worked in Florence. According to Italian harpsichord specialist, Dr. Denzil Wraight, this may be the only authentic instrument by De Quoco.
Restored to playing condition 1961-1965, by William Post Ross from the shop of Frank Hubbard, this De Quoco harpsichord is currently used in concerts and featured on recordings by the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.
Recordings currently available can be found at the following link:
This keyed fingerboard was patented by William Robertson of New York, New York on November 8, 1853 and received U.S. Patent number 10,213. Robertson’s invention is for a mechanical-keyed fingerboard that is placed over the strings of a normal violin to assist amateurs. The fingerboard has thirty-two buttons that can be depressed to change pitch without bringing the fingers directly in contact with the strings. The instrument is a commercial Mirecourt violin with heavily crazed varnish made around 1850. This violin is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with even medium-fine gently descending figure, ribs of similar maple, plain field maple neck, pegbox and scroll, and a semi-opaque yellow-orange varnish.
This “Horn Violin” was patented by Sewall Short of New London, Connecticut in 1854 and received U.S. Patent number 10,867. The violin was made by Derazey in Mirecourt, France around 1850. Short’s patent application describes fitting a brass “horn” and pegbox to the body and neck of a normal violin. By hollowing the wooden neck, sound vibrations are transmitted from the body through the amplifying “horn.” The tone and power of the instrument was said to be much improved. The violin neck has been overlaid with brass for strength and is made of a table of one-piece spruce, one-piece maple back with irregular fine to broad horizontal figure, ribs of medium figured maple, brass covered maple neck and pegbox with attached “horn” bell, and an orange-brown varnish.
This bow was made by Albert H. Karr in Kansas City, Missouri, around 1940-1945. It is made of Pernambuco wood, with a plastic frog, and horsehair. The bow is stamped:
A.H.KARR
Albert Homer Karr (1885-1971) was an American bow and violin maker (1885-1971). For most of his career, Karr was the proprietor of musical instrument shop in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to repairing and selling other instruments, Karr made over 1,300 violins during his career and several dozen handmade violin bows. During WWII, Karr was contracted by the U. S. government to produce quality student bows.
The Violinist magazine for January 1921 featured an article about Albert H. Karr as well as an advertisement of his shop:
ALBERT H. KARR Exclusive Violin Shop 306 East Tenth Str., Kansas City, Missouri.
The Albert H. Karr Handmade Violins, finest imported wood, sent at my expense on ten days’ trial to responsible parties. Large collections of old Violins including a Stradi- varius, a Guarnerius, an Amati, a Villaume and a Lupot.
One of the finest equipped shops in the United States for repair and adjustment of fine old instruments. Mr. Karr attends to this work per- sonally. All work guaranteed. Correspondence invited.
Black and white print after an etching. Illustration from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow showing Ichabod Crane dancing with Katrina Van Tassel at a party under the eaves of the Van Tassel home.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a short story by celebrated American author Washington Irving, was first published in 1820 without illustrations in “The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” Best known for his popular stories of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Irving achieved acclaim in Europe and the U.S. over the course of his successful writing career. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was included in “The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent” while Irving was living in Europe. Thus, he was one of the earliest American authors to survive merely on his writing. Irving’s stories have remained an emblem of American culture as they were some of the first short stories that aimed to entertain rather than educate. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow story inspired artists to create beautiful illustrations like the one included in this print.
The gothic story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells of a man named Ichabod Crane who comes to Tarrytown, New York, known in the story as Sleepy Hollow, as a teacher. As he tries to win the heart of the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, he ultimately finds himself being chased by the village’s feared legend, the Headless Horsemen. The story ends with a smashed pumpkin being found in the place where Ichabon disappeared, never to be seen again. This story is particularly popular around Halloween.
In this illustration Katrina Van Tassel is responding more positively to Ichabod’s affections as she dances with him and raises her eyes to the viewer. The setting is a party at the Van Tassel’s home, for which Ichabod was excited to receive an invitation. The background shows a crowd of people, some drunk, sleeping, dancing etc. But Brom Bones sits in the corner of the room all alone, evidently upset and jealous over Katrina’s relationship with Ichabod.
Sarony, Major, & Knapp was one of the largest lithographic firms at the end of the 19th and the early of the 20th centuries. However, before it achieved this success it started out small in 1843 when Napoleon Sarony and James P. Major joined together to start a business. Later in 1857, Joseph F. Knapp joined the company making it Sarony, Major, & Knapp. At the time that this was printed, Knapp was not a part of the business, so it was just Sarony & Major.
Felix O. C. Darley (1822-1888), the artist behind the twelve best-known illustrations for The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow, is considered one of America’s best illustrators. The publisher was the American Art Union, (1839-1857) a subscription organization created to educate the public about American art and artists while providing support for American artists. For $5.00 members would receive admissions to the gallery showing, a yearly report, and an engraving of an original work, as well as any benefits each chapter might provide. Two special editions of the story, each with a set of six of Darley’s illustrations were published; the special edition including this illustration was published in 1850. This print has been rebound with the five others at the back of the book and the cover is incorrectly from the earlier Rip Van Winkle edition published for the American Art Union, however the title page and text are of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
This colored print depicts a large revival meeting, with tents in the background and a large wooden pulpit in the foreground. Camp meetings were a popular form of Protestant worship throughout the 19th century. Lasting several days, these open-air events often involved ecstatic communal prayer. Hundreds and even thousands came from miles around for preaching and worship, and to enjoy the festival-like atmosphere. A large crowd is depicted in the foreground. Some people are sitting on benches, while others kneel on the ground or stand listening to a preacher.
This print was produced by Kennedy & Lucas and Hugh Bridport from a drawing by Alexander Rider,
Alexander Rider was a German or Swiss born artist, colorist and engraver. He is believed to have arrived in the United States in the early 1800s and worked for the next two decades in Philadelphia as a book illustrator, miniature and portrait artist and painter specializing in historical themes. By 1830 he had begun doing lithographic prints for Kennedy and Lucas. He continued working in printing in the 1840s and produced plates for a book on American natural history.
William B. Lucas was a Philadelphia gilder who owned a looking glass and print shop. He established what was said to be the first commercial lithography firm in Philadelphia in 1828. Within a few months another gilder, David Kennedy, became a partner in the firm. The company continued until Lucas died in 1833. Alexander Rider was a German or Swiss born artist, colorist and engraver. He is believed to have arrived in the United States in the early 1800s and worked for the next two decades in Philadelphia as a book illustrator, miniature and portrait artist and painter specializing in historical themes. By 1830 he had begun doing lithographic prints for Kennedy and Lucas. He continued working in printing in the 1840s and produced plates for a book on American natural history.
Hugh Bridport (1794-1870) was a London-born engraver, lithographer, portrait painter and architect. He began his artistic career in England, where he exhibited miniatures at the Royal Academy in 1813. He followed his brother George to Philadelphia around 1816, and the two brothers went on to establish a drawing academy and became successful artists. Hugh Bridport was a founding member of the Franklin Institute, where he taught architectural drawing for six years. He worked in the lithography trade with Kennedy & Lucas and other Philadelphia firms. Although mainly a portrait lithographer, he drew the lithograph for "Camp-Meeting" from Alexander Rider's painting, and exhibited paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Artist's Fund Society. In the 1860 census he is listed as a "gentleman" with a personal estate worth $15,000 and in the 1870 census, before he died, he was listed as a merchant.
Black and white comic print of a man carrying a valise and a rolled up parcel. He is running toward the train station from which the train has departed. This is one of over 100 in a series of comic parodies of popular songs.