The Portland Room Sheet Music Collection consists of hundreds of pieces of music, some handwritten copies, some published with colored lithograph covers, all written by composers with ties to the state of Maine. Many of the pieces are undated, but the bulk of the pieces date from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Only a small portion of the collection has been cataloged and/or digitized to date. The pieces are filed alphabetically by composer in the Portland Room Archives. For more information, please contact portlandroom@portlib.org.
The sheet music digitized and made accessible in this repository is presented as part of the historical and cultural record. The topics, illustrations, and language reflect the attitudes and beliefs of earlier times and may be harmful or disturbing.
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Envelope from The Cundy-Bettoney Co.
The envelope that held the 23 parts for H.J. Crosby's The Aristocrat March.
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Sweet as a Peach : Song and Dance
T. Brigham Bishop
"Composed expressly for Miss Nellie McHenry of the Salsbury Troubadours."
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As It Began To Dawn : An Easter Song
Charles Whitney Coombs, 1859-1940
Words adapted from Matthew 28:1-6 and Hymn 121.
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The Aristocrat
H. J. Crosby
See the original envelope in which these cards were sent from the publisher.
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Florence Polka
D.L. Downing
Originally for band, arranged for piano.
"As performed by the Portland Band, D.H. Chandler, leader.
Composed and respectfully dedicated to the ladies of Portland."
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State of Maine, My State of Maine
George Thornton Edwards, 1868-1932
This edition of the song was published in honor of Maine's Centennial.
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The Rainy Day : song
George Thornton Edwards
"Written especially for the Dedication of the Longfellow Birthplace, at Portland, Maine, October 29, 1914, and sold for the benefit of the Longfellow Birthplace Fund." --front cover.
