Early eighteenth-century manuscript miscellanies of French music offer a wealth of insight into contemporary public and private musical tastes and activities. Two such miscellanies in the John Milton and Ruth Neils Ward Collection reveal especially fascinating histories of compilation practices and use….
The Jimi Hendrix Bibliographic Experience
This post is part of an ongoing series featuring items from the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Collection. This week’s feature is the second of two sculptural volumes: in this case, the binding itself, rather than the enclosure, defies convention. The book, a paperback French biography of Jimi Hendrix published in 1976, is unremarkable in itself. However,…
Toy Theatre
pfMS Thr 969 (3) Germany, late 19th-century Reassembled briefly prior to permanent storage by Patrick McAndrews, Graduate Student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Advanced Studies Program. Music provided by Clip Art audio. Enjoy the show. http://youtu.be/5Y-u7V8KFj0 Submitted by Vicki Denby, Curatorial Assistant. …
Emily Dickinson’s Music Book (EDR 469)
In her formative years, the American poet Emily Dickinson’s interests centered on the study of voice and especially piano, for which she displayed considerable accomplishment and ambition. Her correspondence supplies the background for these activities while the contents of her music book provides a revealing perspective on just how assiduously and enthusiastically she collected, listened…
Thumbs up, America!
Music has always played a major role in U.S. political campaigns – Sarah Palin had Heart’s Barracuda and Bill Clinton had Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t stop. However, long before television commercials, songs espousing a candidate’s platform were vital to spreading the candidate’s message and increasing their popularity. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes beat Samuel J….
Raise your glass to Champagne Charlie!
Who is Charlie?? He drinks all day, gets into trouble with his friends at night, and won’t settle down with one woman because he’s addicted to champagne! Champagne Charlie was composed by Alfred Lee in the 19th-century British music hall scene. Music hall involved a mixture of popular songs, comedy, speciality acts, and variety entertainment. …