The following is a guest post from retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. May 8 is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. Founded in 1881, the American Red Cross organization was still rather small when the United States entered World War I. But services multiplied, millions helped collect supplies and money, and many served overseas, particularly …
The following is a guest post from retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. All around the mulberry bush, The monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought it was all in fun, Pop! goes the weasel. I recently ran into an unexpected and amusing piece of music which proved to have a long and varied history. The piece? …
The following is a guest post from retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. I am such a sucker for a beautiful sheet music cover. I’ve been attracted by pretty women, handsome men, cute kittens, and gorgeous landscapes. So this decorative cover certainly caught my eye while I was perusing some winter tunes. “Winter Polka, or, Recollections of …
The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. The Library of Congress has a wealth of sheet music from World War I. Although the United States entered the Great War rather late in the game, Americans wrote commemorative songs by the thousands. This music ranges from the famous to the obscure; large …
The following is a guest post from retired Music Cataloger Sharon McKinley. Ah, September. The month of warm days and crisp nights, when the leaves are still green but the summer flowers have given way to mums and asters. It’s the first month of school, as well, when a student’s thoughts might well still be …
The following is a guest post from retired Music Cataloger Sharon McKinley Once again, National Ice Cream Month is upon us, and oh, yes, we all scream for ice cream! Since 1984, when President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday bill into law, there has been official American recognition of one of my favorite foods. The …
The following is a guest post from retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. With summer and picnic season in full swing, The Library of Congress celebrates this treasured national institution in song, photos, and motion pictures. There are entire books, plays and poems centered around picnics, and the Music Division offers a wealth of musical delights. A …
Michael Feinstein on Musicals & Songs at the Library of Congress Series 1 – Rodgers & Hammerstein Episode 2 – “My Favorite Things” This is the second episode in a series of videos that explore the Rodgers and Hammerstein collections at the Library of Congress. Michael Feinstein traces the origin of the lyrics for “My …
The following is a guest post by Stephanie A. Hall, American Folklife Center. World Mosquito Day, August 20th, commemorates the day in 1897 when Dr. Ronald Ross of Great Britain discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria. Many items in the Music Division of the Library of Congress and other performing arts materials throughout the Library …
