William H. Koester:
A Preliminary Inventory of His Collection of Edgar Allan Poe-Related Sheet Music at the Harry Ransom Center
| Creator: | Koester, William H. | |
| Title: | William H. Koester Collection of Edgar Allan Poe-Related Sheet Music | |
| Dates: | 1865-1929, undated | |
| Extent: | 6 oversize boxes (2 linear feet) | |
| Abstract: | The William H. Koester Collection of Edgar Allan Poe-Related Sheet Music consists of six boxes of sheet music plus a small amount of correspondence and newspaper clippings, dating from 1865 to 1929. | |
| Call Number: | Book Collection LI-00002 | |
| Language: | English |
| Access: | Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials. | |
| Use Policies: | Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility. | |
| Restrictions on Use: | Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Centers' Open Access and Use Policies. |
Administrative Information
| Preferred Citation | William H. Koester Collection of Edgar Allan Poe-Related Sheet Music (Library Collection LI-00002). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. | |
| Acquisition: | Purchase, 1966 (R2915) | |
| Processed by: | Ryan Hildebrand and Stephen Mielke, 2009 |
| Repository: |
Scope and Contents
| The William H. Koester Collection of Edgar Allan Poe-Related Sheet Music consists of six boxes of sheet music plus a small amount of correspondence and newspaper clippings, dating from 1865 to 1929. The sheet music was acquired by the Ransom Center in 1966 from William H. Koester as a part of a larger collection of Poe materials. | ||
| The bulk of the materials are short musical settings of Poe poems, including "Annabel Lee," "The Bells," "Eldorado," and "The Raven." The works are listed by title and remain in their original order as received from Koester, grouped somewhat, but not entirely, by the particular Poe work represented. Many of the scores are fragile or damaged and may require special handling. | ||
| Works by English composer Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) are present in greater numbers than any other single composer. All of the works are printed, with the exception of a single handwritten score by Althea Jewell Rutherford for "Eldorado." Two folders of correspondence document Poe collector J. H. Whitty’s research regarding a version of "The Raven" set to music by David Scattergood in 1865. Several of the scores include newspaper clippings about the work. Also present are two programs from performances of Poe-related music. | ||
Related Material
| The Ransom Center holds additional Poe related materials in its Book Collection, Literary File Photography Collection, Art Collection, and Manuscript Collection. Some of these materials were acquired as part of the Koester Collection of Poe and separated at the time of acquisition. | ||