BMI Archives Confederate Sheet Music Collection
name: label: Collector
content: Broadcast Music, Inc.
label: Attributed name
content: Cramer, Edward M.
place: label: Place
content: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
topic: label: Topic
content: War Between the States, 1861-1865
label: Topic
content: Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Communications
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was donated by Broadcast Music, Incorporated (BMI), 2011.
creator: label: Collector
content: Broadcast Music, Inc.
setName: label: See more items in
content: BMI Archives Confederate Sheet Music Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: This collection contains sheet music themed in support of the Confederacy.  Many pieces were printed within the Confederate States of America during the Civil War (1861-1865). It also contains one Confederate bond and early twentieth century facsimiles of Confederate broadsides from the Chicago Historical Society.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the South used music as propaganda and inspiration to both the Confederate forces and the civilian population. After the war the music conjured up memories of the "Lost Cause" and those unfortunate soldiers who did not return home.   Subject matter for songs was wide-ranging and drew from both domestic and military themes.  Even though cut off from the music publishing houses of the northern states, the South was very active in publishing music within the boundaries of the Confederacy.  Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee were reported to be the most active publishing centers, with the cities of Augusta, Georgia; Columbia, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Mobile, Alabama also publishing sheet music. Much of this music was published on inferior grades of paper, and even though the cover engraving tended to be excellent at the beginning of the war, by war's end the covers were fairly plain and devoid of color or elaborate decoration.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (1 box)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
content: Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1860-1868
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1258
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Broadsides
label: Type
content: Sheet music
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1, Sheet Music, 1860-1868, undated

Series 2, Ephemera, 1863, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives specialist, January 2012; supervised by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Broadsides
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music -- 19th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Originally titled the Edward M. Cramer Confederate Sheet Music Collection in honor of Cramer, president of the music rights organization BMI from 1968-1987, this collection contains sheet music produced within the Confederate States of America, before and after the Civil War.  

Series 1, Sheet Music, 1860-1868, undated, contains single sheet songs arranged alphabetically by title as well as compilations. The compilations are filed alphabetically under the song title most identified with the Confederacy. For instance, the reel "Molly Gardner" is in a collection of reels entitled Jerdon's Reels but found under the title "Molly Gardner".

Series 2, Ephemera, 1863, undated, contains one Confederate States bond and twentieth century facsimiles from the Chicago Historical Society of a variety of Confederate broadsides.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, 1790-1980s (AC0300)