Sam DeVincent loved music and art and began collecting sheet music with lithographs at an early age.
Series 19, Art and Literature contains approximately 860 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting popular attitudes towards art and literature in the United States.
An overview to the entire DeVincent collection is available here: Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music.
Scope and Contents note:
Series 19, Art and Literature, 1830-1983, undated, contains approximately 860 pieces of sheet music and other materials documenting popular attitudes towards art and literature in the United State. The dates always refer to copyright of the music and not to the subject on the cover, songwriter's life, or other events. In addition, there are two folders of ephemera arranged in the same subseries order as the music listing, which is described following the Container List.
Subseries 1, Art and Artists, 1839-1977, undated, these songs and instrumental compositions reference fine arts and famous artists such as da Vinci.
Subseries 2, Cover Artists and Early Lithograph Covers, 1830-1931, undated, sheet music cover artists are the largest part of this section, which also includes daguerreotypes, die cut chromolithographs, and early lithographs. More than half of the items in this subseries are E. T. Paull covers. Also see Series 9.4 with images of men and women on the covers.
Subseries 3, Photography, 1848-1966, contains songs with "picture" in the title and songs about photography.
Subseries 4, Carving and Whittling, 1906-1947, most of the titles are about carving. Also see Series 12.1, Plants and Animals/Trees.
Subseries 5, Books, Diary, and Stories, 1849-1983, undated, contains songs about books and diaries; author Charles Dickens; and imaginary characters such as brownies, elves, fairies, gnomes, imps, and midgets.
Subseries 6, Poets and Poetry, 1836-1969, undated, contains songs about poets and poetry, including several with lyrics by, or inspired by, poets such as Browning, Longfellow, Riley, Shakespeare, and Tennyson.
Ephemera: Two folders are in Ephemera Box 67.
Material related to this series within the DeVincent Collection may be found in Series 9, Family and Community Life and Series 12, Plants and Animals.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 7 subseries.
19.1: Art and Artists
19.2: Cover Artists and Early Lithograph Covers
19.3: Photography
19.4: Carving and Whittling
19.5: Books, Diary, and Stories
19.6: Poets and Poetry
19.7: Ephemera
Materials in Other Organizations:
Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
This collection contains duplicates of materials in the Smithsonian collection, as well as materials acquired by Mr. DeVincent after the donation to the Smithsonian. The phonograph records described above were transferred to the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History:
Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Sheet Music and Reference Material, 1843-2010 (AC1211)
Forms Part Of:
Series 19: Art and Literature forms part of the
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music
.
An ongoing, updated list of DeVincent topical series is available via the Smithsonian finding aid portal.
Provenance:
This collection was purchased by the Smithsonian Institution in 1988 from Sam and Nancy Lee DeVincent.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "Criss-cross," three "Dance of the Elves" compositions, and "Dance of the Fairy Flakes."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "Evernever Grumkins," "Fayline" from The Fairie's Court, and "The Little Man Who Wasn't There."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "March of the Wee Folk," "Pixies in the Indian Village," and "Tom Thumb and Tiny Teena."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Subseries 6, Poets and Poetry, 1836-1969, undated, contains songs about poets and poetry, including several with lyrics by, or inspired by, poets such as Browning, Longfellow, Riley, Shakespeare, and Tennyson.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "The Poet and Peasant Waltz" by Schubert and "Poet and Peasant Overture" by Suppe.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Note: some songs use the poets' lyrics; some are songs about the poet.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: Browning's "The Year's at the Spring," Burns' "The Soldier's Return," and Byron's "Fare Thee Well!"
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
"Footsteps of Angels," "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Funeral March," and "The Village Blacksmith." (
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
"The Hoosier Poet March," "Kissing the Rod," and "Out to Old Aunt Mary's."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "The Proper Prayer" and "When the Frost Is on the Punkin."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "I Know a Bank Whereon the Wild Thyme Blows," "Romeo Smith and Juliet Jones" from Playmates, and "What Did Romeo Say to Juliet (When He Climbed Her Balcony)."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
"The May Queen" by William Dempster and "Queen of the May" (or "If You're Waking Call Me Early") by Mrs. Arkwright.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: "The Brook," "Come Into the Garden, Maud," and "What Does the Little Birdie Say?"
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Includes: Carl Sandburg's "Mill Doors," Walter Scott's "The Last Words of Marmion," and one folio with Poe's "Eldorado" and "Israfel."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Seven 'see' notes; three articles about: Daguerre, Sidney Leff and Alberto Vargas; and four Norman Rockwell items. Also see Folder B, E. T. Paull
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
