Happy Fourth of July!
Let’s explore digital collections, primary sources, and previous years’ blog content all about Independence Day!
Archive for the Holidays Category (56 posts)
Music for Lincoln’s 210th Birthday
On February 12, 2019, our nation observes the 210th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Let’s see the variety of ways President Lincoln appears in the Music Division’s collections!
Auld Lang Syne: Sharing a “Cup of Kindness” with Old Friends
The following is a guest post from Music Reference Specialist James Wintle. There is many an old familiar song running through the collective memory of the Western world that will occasionally cause one to sit back with a puzzled look and wonder: “Do I actually understand what I’m saying right now?” Foremost among these is […]
Seasons’ Greetings from the Grinch
Every year when December arrives, I find the urge to re-watch the classic animated film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Its themes centered in kindness and giving have always resonated with me most each holiday season. Originally written by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel and published in 1957, the 1966 special features a narration by Boris […]
Sophie Maslow and the Chanukah Festivals for Israel
The following is a guest post by Hallie Chametzky. Dance Archivist Libby Smigel introduces Hallie: Hallie Chametzky completed her summer Junior Fellowship with the Music Division in early August. Working with the papers of choreographer and Martha Graham Dance Company member Sophie Maslow, she discovered a wealth of documentation on a significant performance event, the […]
Musical Leftovers
Ever since I was little, one of the joys of Thanksgiving has been the leftovers in the days that follow. Who doesn’t like a Cajun turkey sandwich with some stuffing and mashed potatoes on the side? Some leftovers even get better with age, as the flavors become richer. Over this past Thanksgiving, I started thinking […]
Sheet Music Spotlight: Armistice Day, November 11, 1918
The following post is by retired music cataloger Sharon McKinley. I’ve enjoyed perusing the Library’s World War I sheet music over the past few years as we’ve commemorated the centennial of The Great War. We are now coming to the end of the fighting. Although the Treaty of Paris wasn’t signed until June 28,1919, an […]
The Music Division Wishes You a Happy New Year!
The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley Looking for an appropriate New Year’s greeting, I found this song featuring a distinguished-looking gentleman with great facial hair on the cover. The title seems pretty tame, but the subtitle, Dedicated to my customers… is pure click-bait- -19th century style. Pleasant and easy to sing, it’s […]
Thanksgiving Music
Thanksgiving is upon us, and across the country our readers are making plans and preparations for Turkey Day. What kind of Thanksgiving-related music can we find in the Music Division’s stacks? Out of curiosity, I visited our “subject files” in the office to see what sort of information our reference librarians collected back before the […]
Sheet Music Spotlight: Irish-Americans in World War I
The follow is a guest post by retired music cataloger Sharon McKinley. WWI was a time of conflicting loyalties for Irish-Americans. Many still felt strong ties to the old country, and their feelings reflected the sentiments of friends and relatives back in Ireland. Still chafing under British rule, Irishmen from the South as well as […]