SAM DeVINCENT COLLECTION OF ILLUSTRATED AMERICAN SHEET MUSIC, ca. 1790 - 1987
#300

Container List

Series 3: AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSIC, ca. 1828-1980

by: Karen Linn, 1989

19th Century Songs (no "coon songs" or vocal ragtime),1866-1899:

Box 73

Folder
A, A - H

Box 74

Folder
B, I - Z

Many of the songs are pseudo-spirituals or "jubilee songs." Also numerous are songs that offer nostalgic images of the Old South and Afro-Americans longing for their old cabin home. (61 items)

20th Century Songs (no "coon songs" or vocal ragtime), ca. 1901-1968:

C, A - H
D, I - M

Box 75

Folder

E, O - Z

Most of the sheets date from the 1920s to the 1930s. Included are songs about rural Southern Afro-Americans, musical theater songs, pseudo-spirituals and comic songs denigrating Afro-American religion. A few of the pieces were composed by Afro-Americans. (141 items)

F, Aunt Jemima, 1855-1925:

All of the songs are about the fictional character of Aunt Jemima. In the pre-Civil War imprint, Aunt Jemima is not Afro-American. (10 items)

Afro-American Children, ca. 1895-1950:

G, A - M
H, P - Z

Most of the items date between 1900-1920. Many of the songs are lullabies, and there is a topical overlap with folders 3.4 J-L. Folder H contains many printings of the song Stay in Your Own Backyard by Karl Kennett and Lyn Udall. (75 items)

Box 76

Folder

I, Liza Jane, songs about, 1901-1925:

Many of the songs are about courtship. (9 items)

Mammy, songs about, ca. 1899-1952:

J, A - MA
K, MA - ME
L, MY - Z

Most of the sheets date from the 1900s to the 1920s. Many of the covers from the 1920s show a white "mammy." There is some overlap with folders 3.4 G-H; see also 3.4 M. (79 items)

M, Ole Mammy's Lullaby Songs, 1901:

The folio is a collection of songs by Gertrude Manly Jones. Photographs of an older Afro-American woman with a small white child on her lap are interspersed throughout the book. (1 item)

N, Short'nin' Bread, 1928-1943:

The folder contains many editions of this song. (8 items)

"Coon songs," ca. 1885-1920:

Box 77

Folder

O, A
P, B - CA
Q, CH - CU
R, D - EP

Box 78

Folder

S, EV - G
T, H
U, I - ID
V, IF - IT

Box 79

Folder

W, IV - K
X, L
Y, MA - ME
Z, MI - MY

Box 80

Folder

AA, MY - N
BB, O - P
CC, R - SO
DD, SP - TH

Box 81

Folder

EE, TH - WE
FF, WH
GG, WI - Z

During the 1880s to the 1900s the term "coon songs" was used to designate a specific genre of song. These songs blend into the category of vocal ragtime, actually being a precursor of this genre. Therefore folders O-GG have some overlap with folders HH-RR. "Coon songs," unlike vocal ragtime, always dealt with Afro-American stereotypes and the words were always in dialect. Like vocal ragtime, the songs were meant to be comic. The images of Afro-Americans in these songs were more virulently racist than in any other period of American song. (ca. 800 items)

Vocal Ragtime, ca. 1897-1950:

HH, A - CH

Box 82

II, CO - HE
JJ, HO - K
KK, L - N
LL, O - P

Box 83

MM, RA
NN, RA - RO
OO, S - TH
PP, TH


Box 84

QQ, TH - WE
RR, WH - Z


Almost any song in dance rhythm with some syncopation during the 1910s was called ragtime. Most of these sheets have the word "rag" or "ragtime" in the title. The topic of the song could be most anything as long as it was humorous. Some of the items are vocal arrangements of previous instrumental ragtime compositions. Most of the sheets date from the 1910s. (ca. 470 items)

SS, Vocal Ragtime, professional copy, 1912-1953:

Professional copy has no cover illustration. Most items date from the 1940s to the 1950s. (18 items)

TT, Newspaper and Magazine Supplements, 1894-1925:

The song sheets come from a variety of periodicals; most are from Chicago newspapers or the Etude magazine. The songs are from all genres of songs about Afro-Americans. (13 items)

UU, Ragtime Dancing, 1899-1918:

Although the folder includes two early cakewalks, the rest of the songs are about the dances popular during the 1910s ragtime dancing craze--the Turkey Trot, the Camel Walk, the two-step, and the glide. There are no tangos in the folder. See 3.8 BB for Vernon and Irene Castle. Many 1910s dance items are not in series 3. (29 items)

VV"Syncopate," 1905-1922:

All of these songs have the word "syncopate" in the title. (7 items)

Box 85

Folder

WW, Burt, Benjamin Hapgood, 1907-1910:

Songs composed by Burt. (3 items)

XX, Cannon, Hughie, 1899-1904:

Most of the items are "Coon songs." (16 items)

YY, Cannon, Hughie, Bill Bailey items, 1902-1938:

The folder contains many editions of the song Bill Bailey and other songs, not by Cannon, that continue the story of Bill Bailey. (17 items)

ZZ, Fagan, Barney, 1884-1898:

A few of the sheets do not use Afro-American themes. (13 items)

AAA, Fischer, Fred, 1905-1907:

Most of the sheets are "coon songs." (20 items)

BBB, Harney, Ben, 1896-1899:

(4 items)

CCC, Hogan, Ernest, 1896-1907:

Afro-American minstrel and vaudeville entertainer and songwriter (b. 1865; d. 1909). (7 items)

Box 86

Folder

DDD, Irwin, May, 1895-1952:

Irwin was a popular singer of "coon songs" known as a "coon shouter." All items dating after 1906 are later editions of the Bully Song. (20 items)

EEE, Johnson, Lee and Carroll, 1896-1905:

Carroll Johnson was a minstrel entertainer and appears on the cover of most of these sheets. Lee was a songwriter. (8 items)

FFF, Jones, Irving, 1894-1923:

Afro-American songwriter and vaudeville entertainer (b. ca. 1874; d. 1932). Most items date from the 1890s to the 1900s. (17 items)

GGG, Jordan, Joe, 1906-1938:

Afro-American ragtime pianist and composer (b. 1882; d. 1971). The later imprints are editions of his song Lovie Joe (lyric by Will Marion Cook). (8 items)

HHH, Morse, Theodore, 1904-1911:

"Coon songs" and vocal ragtime. See also 3.4 LLL. (9 items)

III, O'Brien, Neil, 1901-1904:

(4 items)

JJJ, Queen, John, 1899-1939:

Most of the sheets date from 1899-1902. (10 items)

Box 87

KKK, Reed, Dave Jr., 1894-1914:

(29 items)

LLL, Roye, Ruth, 1915-1923:

Roye was a singer advertised as the "Princess of Ragtime." (13 items)

MMM, Skidmore, Will E. and Marshall Walker, 1916-1936:

Most of the sheets date from the 1910s. Skidmore and Walker were a songwriting team. Many of the songs are comedic denigrations of Afro-American religion. See the ephemera file for a letter from Skidmore to a customer. (13 items)

NNN Van Alstyne, Egbert, 1903-1921:

All but one item dates from the 1900s. See also 3.6 EE. (8 items)

OOO, Von Tilzer, Harry, 1899-1901:

See also 3.6 GG. (6 items)

PPP, Folio of Plantation Melodies and Comic Songs, 1897:

A collection of both comic and sentimental songs about Afro-Americans. The book includes some Stephen Foster songs; the file on Foster is in series 4. (1 item)

QQQ, Songs of the Sunny South, 1929:

The folio includes spirituals, folk-songs, Stephen Foster songs, and minstrel songs. (1 item)

RRR, Harlem (New York, N.Y.), 1932-1971:

All of the songs are about the predominantly black neighborhood of Harlem. Only one item dates after 1941. (16 items)

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