The first unit of a special collection
The first unit of a special collection of American popular music was donated to the Dartmouth College Library on December 11, by Roger H. Burrill '31. The initial shipment consisted of some 1100 selections dated from 1800 to 1860.
Included were 65 copies of songs by Stephen Foster published between 1850 and 1860. Two of these are entitled "OldFolks at Home—written and composed by E. P. Christy." This curious designation was the result of an agreement Foster had with the famous minstrel show operator, to whom Foster sold the complete rights to the song for $15.00. Later Foster asked Christy to abrogate the agreement, and subsequent editions of Old Folks At Home bore Stephen Foster's name on the titlepage.
The curious "Webster's Funeral March by Beethoven" was published by two different Boston publishers, using two different sets of plates. Beethoven had been dead 26 years when Daniel Webster passed away in 1852. Nevertheless, these two publishers, Oliver Ditson Co. and White Smith Co., seized upon the popularity of both these famous men, and reissued Beethoven's march as Webster's FuneralMarch.
Additional sections of the Burrill Music Collection will be received by Baker Library until the complete collection will be in Hanover, probably within a threeyear period.
Roger Burrill 31 (left) presents the firstpart of his collection of popular sheetmusic to Walter Wright of Baker Libraryas Class President John Cogswell '31(right) looks on.
