MG-9. PENNSYLVANIA WRITERS COLLECTION, 1899-1970.
Notes, manuscripts and related materials pertaining to works of certain Pennsylvania authors, composers, and poets.
HARRY T. BURLEIGH
Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949), was one of the nation’s foremost popular singers and composers through the mid-twentieth century. Born in Erie in 1866, he was the grandchild of a blind ex-slave from Maryland. Burleigh’s father passed away while he was still a young boy and he grew up in poverty with his grandfather. By the end of his life, he had composed and arranged over 250 songs, spoke five languages, and had attained international prominence. The Burleigh Collection features four photographs and thirteen compositions.
Songs, 1895-1911. Nine of the compositions are original scores and four are published sheets of music: "Deep River," ca. 1917; "Ethiopia’s Paean of Exaltation," ca. 1921; "The Lord’s Prayer," ca. 1920; "A Corn Song," ca. 1920; "Go Down, Moses," ca. 1917; "By an’ By," ca. 1917; "Oh, Didn’t It Rain," ca. 1919, "Balm in Gilead," ca. 1919; "Hard Trials," ca. 1919.
STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER
Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania and was one of American’s foremost composers of folksongs in the nineteenth century. Noted for his negro minstrel songs, he wrote and composed many enduring tunes. Included are the following compositions:
Songs, First Editions, c. 1851-1865, 1931.
• "Farewell My Lilly Dear, " pub. by Firth, Pond & Co., ca. 1851.
• "Hard Times Come Again No More, " pub. by Firth, Pond & Co., ca. 1854 No. 28.
• "Old Folks at Home," pub. by Firth, Pond & Co. ca. 1851.
Songs, Later Editions, 1848-1893, n.d.
• "Camptown Races," pub. by F. D. Benteen, ca. 1850.
• "Farewell My Lilly Dear," pub. by Firth, Pond & Co., ca. 1851.
• "Hard Times Come Again No More," pub. by Wm. A. Pond & Co., ca. 1885; by Mrs. Wiley and Mrs. Marien Foster Welch, 1882.
• "Oh! Susanna," pub. by C. Holt, ca. 1848
• "Old Black Joe," pub. by McKinley Music Co., n.d.
• "Massa’s in De Cold Ground," pub. Firth, Pond & Co., ca. 1852 (5th ed.).
• "Uncle Ned," pub. by G. Willig, ca. 1848.
• "Way Down in Ca-i-Ro," pub. by Pond & Co., ca. 1850.
• "Nellie Was A Lady: A Beautiful Ethiopian Melody," pub. Firth, Pond, & Co., ca. 1849 (tenth ed.).
• "Oh Boys, Carry Me Long: A Plantation Melody," pub. by Firth, Pond & Co., ca. 1851 (20th ed.)
• "Songs of the Sable Harmonists: Consisting of the Louisiana Belle, Away Down South, Oh! Susanna, Wake Up Jake or the Old Iron City, and Uncle Ned." pub. O. Willy, ca. 1848.
Photographs, MSS From Notebook, Stephen C. Foster, n.d.
• "Massa’s in De Cold Ground," n.d.
• "Old Black Joe," n.d.
• "Poor Uncle Tom Goodnight," n.d.
• "Way Down Upon de Old Plantation," n.d.
• "Hard Times Come Again No More," n.d.
Songs, Compositions and Arrangements (Foster Hall Reproduction), 1933 Set No. 261.
• Down South"
• Better Times Are Coming"
• "De Camptown Races"
• "Commence Ye Darkies All"
• "Don’t Bet Yer Money on de Shanghai"
• "Hard times come again no more"
• "Lou’siana Belle"
• "Massa’s in de Cold Ground"
• "My Budder Gum"
• "Old Black Joe"
• "Old Folks at Home"
• "Old Uncle Ned"
• "Plantation Jig"
• "Ring de Banjo"
• "A Soldier in de Colored Brigade"
• "Oh! Susanna"
• "We Are Coming Father Abraham"
• "Way Down in Ca-i-ro"
• "The Great Baby Show, or the Abolitionist Show"