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Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Guide to the Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 17: The Human Condition, Physical, Mental, Behavioral
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NMAH.AC.0300.S17
- Creators:
-
DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997
- Dates:
-
circa 1833-1987, undated
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
9 Boxes
- Repository:
Sam DeVincent loved music and art and began collecting sheet music with lithographs at an early age. Series 17, The Human Condition--Physical, Mental, Behavioral contains approximately 1,000 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting the development of and popular attitudes towards the human condition in the United States. An overview to the entire DeVincent collection is available here: Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music.
Scope and Contents note
Scope and Contents note
Series 17, The Human Condition --Physical, Mental, Behavioral, 1833-1987, contains approximately 1,000 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting the development of and popular attitudes towards the human condition in the United States. The dates always refer to copyright of the music and not to the subject on the cover, songwriter's life, or other events. In addition, there is one box of ephemera arranged in the same subseries order as the music listing, which is described following the container list.
Subseries 1, Physical Health, 1833-1982, undated, covers doctors, nurses, The Red Cross, eyes (including blindness), disabilities, lisping, stuttering, body weight, nudity, drugs, and general health.
Subseries 2, Happiness, 1845-1978, undated, includes songs with gay, happy, laugh, and smile in the titles; also songs about whistling, fun, tickling, and being cheerful.
Subseries 3, Crazy, Foolish, 1904-1973, undated, has two folders with crazy and fool/foolish titles; and one folder the cheerful, fun, humor, joy, and tickle songs.
Subseries 4, Rubes, 1888-1938, contains one folder with titles and/or images of the unsophisticated type.
Ephemera contains DeVincent's 'see' notes referencing other parts of the Collection, articles, promotional materials, and various items that pertain to the subjects in Series 17. Note that the Ephemera boxes are numbered separately from the boxes containing sheet music.
Arrangement note
Arrangement note
Arranged in 5 subseries.
- 17.1: Physical Health
- 17.2: Happiness
- 17.3: Crazy, Foolish
- 17.4: Rubes
- 17.5: Ephemera
Administration
Author
NMAH Staff
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
This collection was purchased by the Smithsonian Institution in 1988 from Sam and Nancy Lee DeVincent.
Digital Content
Using the Collection
Preferred Citation note
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use note
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Materials in Other Organizations
Materials in Other Organizations
Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
This collection contains duplicates of materials in the Smithsonian collection, as well as materials acquired by Mr. DeVincent after the donation to the Smithsonian. The phonograph records described above were transferred to the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Sheet Music and Reference Material, 1843-2010 (AC1211)
Forms Part Of
Forms Part Of
Series 17: The Human Condition forms part of the Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music .
An ongoing, updated list of DeVincent topical series is available via the Smithsonian finding aid portal.
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu
