Subseries 3.6: Ragtime Composers and Publishers, 1895-1975

Women Composers of Ragtime, 1898-1916:

Box 109

Folder
A, A - D
B, E - PI
C, PO - Z

Included here are instrumental ragtime compositions by a variety of women composers. See also the ragtime holdings in the Indiana section of the DeVincent collection. Some women composers have items in the main ragtime file; often the sheets are duplicates. (69 items)

D, Bennett, Theron C., 1904-1916:

One piece is a vocal; the rest are for solo piano. (20 items)

E, Bernard, Mike, 1908-1915:

All of the sheets are for solo piano. (8 items)

Botsford, George, 1903-1937:

Box 110

Folder
F, A - I
G, J - Z

Little of the material dates after 1916. Most of the items are piano rags, but several songs (some not ragtime) are included as well. (58 items)

H, Christensen, Axel, sheet music, 1908-1927:

The Chicago-based Christensen was billed in Vaudeville as the "Czar of Ragtime." The sheets in this folder were composed and/or published by him. Some of the items fall into the category of "novelty piano." Many pieces are ragtime versions of other songs, for example his rag versions of Stephen Foster melodies. (18 items)

I, Christensen, Axel, folios, 1918-1925:

One folio is a Melody magazine of 1918 with Christensen music and an article on him. The other is a 1925 folio of novelty piano solos. (2 items)

J, Christensen, Axel, teaching aids, 1907-1937:

The instructional material covers ragtime, novelty, and jazz. (10 items)

Box 111

Folder

K, Christensen, Axel, break studies, 1944-1950:

The folder contains one notebook with many issues of Axel Christensen's Break Studies. (1 item)

Johnson, Charles L., ca. 1905-1917:

L, A - C
M, D - L
N, M - Z

All of the items are ragtime compositions for solo piano. A number of compositions using the pseudonyms of Raymond Birch and Fannie B. Woods are in these folders. Johnson published more non-ragtime than ragtime; these compositions are filed elsewhere in the collection (indexed by name). (ca. 100 items)

Joplin, Scott, 1899-1975:

Box 112

Folder
O, A - O
P, P - Z

The majority of editions date from the 1900s (including some first editions), however many later editions from the 1970s Joplin revival are present. (For more on his revival, see the ephemera file.) (60 items)

Q, Joplin, Scott, Maple Leaf Rag, 1899-1961:

The folder contains many editions and printings of this popular ragtime piece. (19 items)

R, Scott Joplin: Collected Piano Works, 1971:

Published by the New York Public Library, edited by Vera Brodsky Lawrence, and with an introduction by Rudi Blesh. (1 item)

Box 113

Folder

S, Joplin, Scott, folios, 1928-1975:

The folder contains folios of piano ragtime and a folio of vocal selections from Treemonisha (1975). (4 items)

T, Lamb, Joseph, 1906-1964:

All but two items date from 1906-1916. All of the compositions are piano rags. (18 items)

U, Lampe, J. Bodewalt, 1900-1917:

Several of the items are vocal and several not ragtime, but they have been consolidated here with his ragtime compositions. (32 items)

V, Lodge, Henry, 1909-1918:

All of the sheets are for solo piano. Many pieces are for the dances that grew out of the ragtime craze: hesitation waltz, tango, etc. See also 3.4 LLL. (34 items)

Mills, Kerry, 1895-1932:

Box 114

Folder

W, A - K
X, O - Z

All but one item date from before 1916. Many pieces are early or pre-ragtime type compositions such as cake walks and characteristic two-step marches. Mills often prefaces the music with a character sketch or scene depicting rural Afro-American stereotypes. His non-ragtime work is filed elsewhere in the collection (indexed by name). (48 items)

Y, Paull, E.T., 1898-1914:

Paul is the publisher for all items, and occasionally the composer or arranger. He is known for his brilliantly colored lithographic covers. All of the sheets are for solo piano. (15 items)

Z, Pryor, Arthur W., 1899-1909:

Pryor, John Phillip Sousa's assistant conductor, composed some ragtime. All of these items are for solo piano. See also 3.4 TT. (4 items)

AA, Scott, James, 1904-1919:

Scott's pieces are more of the "high class rags" from the publisher John Stark. All of the sheets are for solo piano. (27 items)

Stark, John, 1901-1917:

Box 115

Folder

BB, A - H
CC, J - Z

John Stark published "classic ragtime" such as the work of Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb (and their files should be consulted for more Stark items). These folders contain the work of a variety of composers, all published by Stark, including compositions by his son E.J. Stark. All items are for solo piano. (43 items)

DD, Turpin, Tom, 1899-1904:

Ragtime for solo piano. (14 items)

EE, Van Alstyne, Egbert, 1900-1912:

See also 3.4 NNN. (9 items)

FF, Von Tilzer, Albert, 1905-1914:

All of the sheets are for solo piano and are rag-related marches, intermezzos, and two-steps. (4 items)

GG, Von Tilzer, Harry, 1901-1917:

Ragtime and rag-related two-steps and marches, see also 3.4 OOO. (16 items)

Wenrich, Percy, 1903-1914:

Box 116

Folder

HH, A - H
II, I - Z

All of the items are ragtime or rag-related pieces for solo piano. Non-ragtime compositions by Wenrich are in the collection (indexed by name). (49 items)

TOP

GO TO CONTAINER LIST 3.7