Category Archives: Sheet music

Guardians of Mobile Bay

Posted on March 24, 2015 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Civil War, Cool Collections, Photographs, Sheet music, Southern History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

During the Civil War, Mobile Bay was protected by not one but two fortifications: to the west — Fort Gaines, on Dauphin Island to the east — Fort Morgan, down the beach from Gulf Shores From these strategic points, Confederate soldiers could … Continue reading →

WWI: Month One

Posted on August 6, 2014 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music, World War I | Leave a comment

At the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, let’s look at some items from Acumen that reflect the events of the war’s earliest days. July 28 — Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, following the assassination of Archduke Franz … Continue reading →

Symbols of liberty

Posted on December 11, 2013 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Music, Sheet music, World War I | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Wade Hall Sheet Music collection features a great deal of music from the first two decades of the 20th century, especially music related to World War I. Maybe because America took so long to enter the war, it seems … Continue reading →

Our Muse, the Moon

Posted on June 24, 2013 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Did you catch a glimpse of yesterday’s “supermoon”? While I was checking out the amazing images popping up on the internet today, I started to think about the role the moon plays in our culture, especially its effect on our … Continue reading →

Temperance to Prohibition

Posted on May 28, 2013 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

From 1920 to 1933, the United States was officially a “dry” nation. The 18th Amendment made the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol illegal. But the first steps toward ridding the U.S. of alcohol began in the century before, with … Continue reading →

The sinking of the Titanic

Posted on April 16, 2013 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music | Tagged | Leave a comment

(Diary of J. H. Woodward, April 16, 1912) Over a hundred years ago this week, the RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic. On April 15, 1912, news began to reach the general public, and, just as we do now … Continue reading →

Not your average christmas carols

Posted on December 17, 2012 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

There’s so much music written and published just for the Christmas season, but I bet you haven’t seen any of these pieces before. Here’s some pretty normal fare, from 1887. Notice Santa using his glasses to check his list. (Click … Continue reading →

The Civil War’s Lyrical Battlefield

Posted on September 4, 2012 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Civil War, Sheet music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

We all know the Civil War had a seismic impact on our country. Did you know that its effects trickled down to the music publishing industry? UA Libraries Special Collections has a lot of 19th and early 20th century sheet … Continue reading →

Did you miss Mother’s Day?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Cool Collections, Sheet music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Well, not to worry. Those hard-working, ever-loving mothers deserve tribute all year ’round. Check out this great song album of sheet music from the 1900’s, and serenade your dear ole Mom. 🙂

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14, 2012 by kgmatheny | Posted in: Sheet music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with some love songs from our Wade Hall Sheet Music Collection!