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Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Guide to the Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 21: Musical Instruments
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NMAH.AC.0300.S21
- Creators:
-
DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997
- Dates:
-
undated1824-1981
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
75 Boxes
- Repository:
Sam DeVincent loved music and art and began collecting sheet music with lithographs at an early age. Series 20, Newspapers contains approximately 4,900 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting the development of and popular attitudes towards the playing of music 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 21, Musical Instruments, 1824-1981, undated, contains approximately 4,900 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting the development of and popular attitudes towards the playing of music in the United States. Numerous teaching manuals are included. The dates always refer to copyright of the music and not to the subject on the cover, musician's life, or other events. There are three boxes of Ephemera, described following the container list. The Musical Instruments series is arranged by type of instrument and is divided into twenty-five subseries, 21.1-21.25. Piano will be done in a separate series.
Subseries 1, Accordion, 1902-1964, undated, contains arrangements for solo accordion and accordion bands. Also included are two folders of French, German, and Swiss songs and folios.
Subseries 2, Banjo, 1853-1975, undated, includes music with "banjo" in the title and other items with images of racial stereotypes. Also included are general songs and folios. Also see subseries 11, Guitar, and subseries 15, Mandolin. Subseries 3, Cello, 1891-1935, undated, contains one folder of music with "cello" in the title or pictured on the cover, three folders with compositions for the cello, and several folders of folios.
Subseries 4, Clarinet, 1905-1958, undated, includes a few compositions and several folios.
Subseries 5, Concertina, 1905-1941, undated, contains one folder with "concertina" titles and one folio.
Subseries 6, Cornet, 1848-1924, undated, contains music specifically for, or referring to, the cornet. Also see subseries 21, Trumpet.
Subseries 7, Double Bass, 1939-1955, contains one folder with a few items with images of a double bass (bass fiddle) on the cover.
Subseries 8, Drums, 1867-1971, undated, includes Gene Krupa covers, general songs about drums, and method books.
Subseries 9, Fiddle, 1893-1981, undated, contains music and folios with "fiddle" in the title. Also see subseries 23, Violin.
Subseries 10, Flute, 1847-1936, undated, contains a few compositions for flute and several folios.
Subseries 11, Guitar, 1824-1977, undated, contains arrangements for Hawaiian String Guitar and early and late Spanish Guitar. Also see subseries 2, Banjo and subseries 15, Mandolin.
Subseries 12, Harmonica, 1904-1974, undated, contains songs with "harmonica" in the title and/or images of the harmonica on the cover, and folios.
Subseries 13, Harp, 1866-1976, undated, contains songs with "harp" in the title and/or images of the harp on the cover.
Subseries 14, Hurdy Gurdy, 1899-1969, contains songs with "hurdy gurdy" in the title.
Subseries 15, Mandolin, 1843-1954, undated, contains songs with "mandolin" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, arrangements for mandolin orchestra, and folios and method books.
Subseries 16, Music Boxes, 1848-1979, undated, contains songs with "music box" in the title and/or pictured on the cover.
Subseries 17, Organ, 1856-1973, undated, contains songs with "organ," "hand organ," or "organ grinder" in the title and/or pictured on the cover; arrangements for cabinet, pipe, and theater organs; numerous compositions with organists on the covers; and folios and method books.
Subseries 18, Saxophone, 1907-1953, contains songs with "saxophone" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, arrangements for saxophone, and folios and method books.
Subseries 19, Tambourine, 1854-1960, contains songs with "tambourine" in the title and/or pictured on the cover.
Subseries 20, Trombone, 1906-1957, contains songs with "trombone" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, arrangements for trombone and baritone, and folios.
Subseries 21, Trumpet, 1904-1945, undated, contains songs with "trumpet" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, and a method book for cornet and trumpet.
Subseries 22, Ukulele, 1915-1964, undated, contains songs with banjoist Cliff Edwards on the cover, general songs with "ukulele" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, and folios.
Subseries 23, Violin, 1843-1957, undated, contains songs with "violin" in the title and/or pictured on the cover, arrangements for violin, and folios and method books.
Subseries 24, Zither, 1970-1951, undated, contains songs with "zither" in the title and/or pictured on the cover and folios and method books.
Subseries 25, Various Instruments, 1835-1968, undated, contains two folders with songs and folios for various wind instruments not included in the previous subseries, and one folder of miscellaneous instruments.
Ephemera, The ephemera materials comprise several folders in Ephemera Box 67, which include souvenir programs, and articles about musicians and instruments.
Arrangement
Arrangement
Arranged in 26 subseries.
- 21.1: Accordion
- 21.2: Banjo
- 21.3: Cello
- 21.4: Clarinet
- 21.5: Concertina
- 21.6: Cornet
- 21.7: Double Bass
- 21.8: Drums
- 21.9: Fiddle
- 21.10: Flute
- 21.11: Guitar
- 21.12: Harmonica
- 21.13: Harp
- 21.14: Hurdy Gurdy
- 21.15: Mandolin
- 21.16: Music Boxes
- 21.17: Organ
- 21.18: Saxophone
- 21.19: Tambourine
- 21.20: Trombone
- 21.21: Trumpet
- 21.22: Ukulele
- 21.23: Violin
- 21.24: Zither
- 21.25: Various Instruments
- 21.26: Ephemera
Administration
Author
Cooby Greenway
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 21: Musical Instruments 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.
Repository Contact
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu
