1844-1858 MUSIC SAMMELBAND. P. T. Barnum, Blackface Minstrels, and The Trans-Atlantic Telegraph.

A wonderful mid-19th century musical sammelband including some real gems. A charming snapshot of mid-19th-century American popular music, minstrelsy, popular entertainment, and technology.

Pride of place in the collection certainly belongs to P. T. Barnum's Baby Show Polka (1855). The music documents one of Barnum's famous and bizarre Barnum's American Museum publicity stunts in New York City,

There are also fine examples of minstrel and blackface publications, led by Christy's The Other Side of Jordan (1853), performed at Christy's American Opera House; Yes, We Miss Thee (1853) by Buckley's Serenaders (blackface), which is an explicit direct answer to the famous sentimental hit Do They Miss Me at Home?; and the copy of Louise Polka (1857), which features an manuscript presentation inscription from composer and one of the blackface minstrels himself, Frederick Buckley, .

The volume also include sHenry Kleber's The Atlantic Telegraph Schottisch (1857), celebrating the mid-1850s efforts to lay the transatlantic telegraph cable;  The Rescue Quick Step (1853) documents the sensational real-life maritime rescue of the passengers of the wrecked steamship San Francisco by Captain Creighton of the British ship Three Bells; and The Banjo (1857) by H. C. Harris, a fascinating instrumental novelty piece that attempted to mimic the vernacular sounds of the banjo on the middle-class parlor piano.

Many items in the sammelband stamped from J. H. Mellor & Co of 68 Wood Street, Pittsburgh. Sammelband with leather ownership onlay. Anna M. Graham. 

Winsome Winnie. Written by C. O. Clayton. Composed by J. R. Thomas. New York. Wm Hall & Son. 1858pp. 

Do They Miss Me at Home? As Sung by the Amphions at the Principal Concernts throughout the Country. Music by S. M. Crannis. Boston. Oliver Ditson. c.1850's. 

Yes, We Miss Thee. Sung by Buckley's Serenaders. Reply to Do They Miss Me at Home. Music by F. Buckley. New York. Firth, Pond & Co. 1853

Lilly Bell. Ballad. Words by W. W. Wakelam. Music by Charles Mueller. Bew York. Firth, Pond & Co. 1853

We'll All Meet Again in the Morning [The Exclamation of a Dying Child]. A Ballad. Words by H. Clay Preuss. Music by Thomas Baker. New York. Horace Waters. 1856. 

O Thou Omnipotent. A Sacred Song. Written by Henry C. Watson. Compose dby William Vincent Wallace. New York. William Hall & Son. 1853. 

*Christy's The Other Side of Jordan. As Sung by Earl H. Peirce at Christy's American Operat House. New York. William Hall & Son. 1853. [Black Minstrels]

Hail Columba; Or, The Presidents March. A National Air. Arranged for Piano Forte. Philadelphia. Klemm & Brother. 

*Tis Now the Promis'd Hour. A Serenade as Sung with Enthusiastic Applause by George P. Morris, Esq. Music Composed, Arranged, and Respectfully Dedicated to Mrs. R. M. Le Favor of Boston by Francis H. Brown. New York. Atwill. 1845

The Hindoo Mother, A Ballad Composed and Arranged for the Piano Forte. Baltimore. F. D. Benteen. 1846. 

Can Any One Tell? A Ballad. Words and Music Composed and Most Respectfully Dedicated to Miss N. E. Hause of Baltimore by L. V. H. Crosby. And Sung by Him with Unbounded Applause at the Harmoneon Concerts. Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. 1847.

The Hindoo Girl hath Decked Her Shell, Written by M. Lemon Esq. Adn ADapted to Cavatina of La Norma. Composed by Signor Bellini. Philadelphia. J. C. Smith. Nd.

Jeannette and Jeannot. The Conscripts Departure. Written by Charles Jefferys and Composed by Charles W. Glover. Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. Nd. 

I Cannot Dance Tonight. A Ballad Written by T. H. Bayly. Music Composed by Mrs. T. H. Bayley. Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. Nd. 

*The Lament of the Irish Emigrant. A Ballad, Poetry by The hon. Mrs. Price Blackwood. The Music Composed and Most Cordially Dedicated to Mrs. Isaac McGaw of New York by William R. Dempster. Boston. George P. Reed. 1848.

Vocal Beauties from the Celebrated Opera of Nebuchadnezzar. Performed in London Under the Title of Nino, Words by P. Mordant, Esq. and Music by Guiseppe Verdi. New York. William Hall & Son. 

*Camille Poka. Composed by Charles Grobe. Philadlephia. Lee & Walker. 1857. Lithograph from a Photograph by J. E. McCleas. Engraved by T. Sinclair. 

The Empire Polka. Composed and Arranged for the Piano Forte. Respectfully Dedicated to the Members of the Empire Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1. By Harry C. Harris. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. 1852. 

*P. T. Barnum's Baby Show Polka. Composed by Francis H. Brown. New York. S. T. Gordon. 1855.

Louise Polka. Composed and Respectfully Dedicated to His Friend, James W. Coffroth, Esq by Frederick Buckley, known as Master Ole Bull of the New Orleans Serenaders. Philadelphia. Couenhoven & Duffey. Inscribed in pencil to William H. Miller by the composer, Frederick Buckley [1857]. Buckley was an influential "black face minstrel" performer and composer for much of the mid-19th century. Tear across one of the pages with no losses. 

Polka Favorite de Jenny Lind Par A. Wallerstein. Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. Nd.

*Georgette. Valse a Deux Tems Par Charles D'Albert. Philadelphia. J. E. Gould. Nd. Lithographed by Sarony & Co. 

The Bird of Paradise Waltz by H. Koenig. Arranged for the Piano by F. B. Helmsmuller. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. 1854. 

Hours of Leisure. A Collection of Waltzes & Polkas Arranged as Rondos for the Piano Forte. Louisville, Kentucky. David P. Faulds. 

The Celebrated River Waltz. Composed by M. Pratt. Newly Arranged & Revised from the Original Manuscript of Miss A. F. Garvin by W. C. Peters. New York. Hewitt & Jacques. 1838. 

Les Condoliers. Suite de Valses Caracteristique par George W. Hewitt. Philadelphia. Beck & Lawton. 1857. 

Ton Marchen or Leontine Waltz Composed by Joseph Gungel, Arranged for the Piano and Respectfully Dedicated to Miss Emily Anderson by F. Weiland. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. 1847. 

The Midnight Waltz for the Piano Forte. Composed & Dedicated to N. P. Willis Esq. by W. V. Wallace. New York. Firth Hall & Pond. 1844. 

*The Atlantic Telegraph Schottisch. Composed by Henry Kleber. New York. Firth, Pond & Co. 1857. Second Edition. 

A Spell of Sunshine. 12 Beautiful Pieces Arranged in Easy & Progressive Style for the Piano by Charles Grobe. Philadlephia. Lee & Walker. Nd.

Elizabeth Schottisch. By Harvey R. Dodworth. New York. Wm. Hall & Son. Eighth Edition. Nd. 

The Rescue Quick Step. Composed for the Piano, Respectfully Dedicated to Captain Creighton of the Three Bells by Henry G. Thunder. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. 1853. 

Oh Susanna Quickstep Arranged for the Piano Forte. Philadelphia. E. Ferrett & Co. Nd. 

America. 8 Popular American Melodies Arranged as Rondinos for the Piano by Ferdinand Beyer. Including The Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, Hail Columba, &c. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. Nd. 

The Gothamite Quick Step, Composed by Charles Grobe & Respectfully Dedicated to James F. Hall Esq of New York by the Publishers. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. Nd. 

Album Leaves. A Collection of Beautiful Polkas, Waltzes, Marches &c. Composed & Arranged Expressly as Teaching Pieces by Henry Kleber. Including the Stolen Kiss Galop, Love Letter Polka, &c. New York. Firth, Pond & Co. 1854. 

Oeuvres Pour Piano Seul Par Guillme Kuhe. March Bohemian. Boston. Oliver Ditson. Nd. 

A Spell of Sunshine. 12 Beautiful Pieces by Chas. Grobe. The Jester March. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. Nd. 

*The Banjo. An Original Imitation of this Inimitable Instrument for the Piano by H. C. Harris. Philadelphia. Lee & Walker. 1857. 

*Album de Danse Pour Piano. Par Th. Giese. New York. Schuberth & Co. Nd. 

Sounds of Love. 6 Melodies for the Piano by Th. Oesten. 

Gems of German Land. Parlez Allemand. A Collection of Fantasies for the Piano Forte by Theodore Oesten. When the Swallows Homeward Fly. Boston. Oliver Ditson. Nd. 

Les Petites Soeurs by A. Keller. Annie Laurie. Boston. Oliver Ditson & Co. Nd. 

Binding in fair condition only with spine cover lacking, boards essentially detached. The music itself generally good with some light foxing, a few page repairs, one page torn crosswise [noted above]. Most items bound with their original decorative wraps.