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Lee Schreiner Sheet Music Collection

Lee Schreiner donated a large portion of his sheet music collection--several thousand pieces--to Rare Books and Special Collections in 2014. Music in the collection covers much of the early 20th century, with coverage especially strong during World War I (1914-1918). Because most Americans either had access to pianos or watched performers at music halls, sheet music is an ideal medium for studying popular and visual culture. Pieces in the collection reflect popular opinion about the war, as well as the changing status of women and minorities. The first phase to digitize the Schreiner collection concluded in 2017 to coincide with the centennial of World War I, with future plans to digitize more of the collection later in the year.

Browse by first line of chorus | first line of lyrics | cover illustration

Daddy, please, don't let them shoot you
words & music by J.O. Donovan., piano, voice, Title from cover., March for voice and piano., Drawing of a girl saying goodbye to her father / De Takacs., A scene occured in Europe., Daddy, please don't let them shoot you., "Walton Process Chicago"--Page 5., Staff notation.
Délivrance!
French lyric by Gustave Rivet ; English translation by Milton Goldsmith ; music by Ruggiero Leoncavallo., piano, voice, Title from caption., For voice and piano., "Respectfully dedicated to Monsieur Raymond Poincaré, President of the French Republic.", Man wearing a loincloth made out of the French flag holding a French flag in one hand and sword in the other. He is standing with one foot on a vanquished foe and looking up to the heavens., Advance, oh soldiers to the battle., Hurrah! Bravely advance! Hurrah!, Text in English and French., Staff notation.
Cheer up
words by Joe Young and Edgar Leslie ; music by Maurice Abrahams., Title from cover., For voice and piano., Angel with a cornucopia dumping gold coins from the heavens with an inset photo of Sophye Barnard., What's this talk about., Cheer up, cheer up, forget about your troubles., Staff notation.
Do your bit
by Gordon V. Thompson., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., Arranged by Jules Brazil., Photograph with caption: "Sir Sam Hughes leaving flag ship" / H.D.W., Millions now are needed of munitions men and gold., Come do your bit for the cause that is right!, Staff notation.
Red Cross volunteer
words and music by E. Paul Kaps., piano, voice, Title from cover., March for voice and piano., Photo of a Red Cross Nurse sitting at a table holding up a newspaper with the caption "New War Photos." Flaming torches with acanthus motifs frame the sides of the photo., You have heard of Europe's war., For I'm a Red Cross volunteer., Staff notation.
The battle ship rag
words and music by Thos. S. Allen., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., "Respectfully dedicated to Col. Benter, Bandmaster (R.I.)"--Caption., Battleship on the open sea with border made up of columns with American flags and shields with dolphins and anchors., Down in the bay., See those sailors when they get on shore., Staff notation.
The birth of a nation
music by Joseph M. Daly ; words by Thos. S. Allen., piano, voice, 'Twas in the year of seventy six at Independence Hall., 'Twas the birth of a nation called the U.S.A., Title from cover., For voice and piano., Lady Liberty, or Columbia, is suspended in the clouds holding up an American flag as a backdrop behind her. She has a headband inscribed "Liberty" / E.H. Pfeiffer, N.Y., Advertising includes no musical incipits.
Be careful Mary
words by Dick Howard ; music by Lewis F. Muir., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., Irish woman looking out the window of her house at her boyfriend who is marching in a parade of soldiers going off to war. Inset photograph of Elizabeth M. Murray., See the Irish soldiers march in line., Be careful Mary, my Irish fairy., Staff notation.
Goodbye, Jennie dear
words by Dick Howard ; music by Harry Jentes., piano, voice, Title from cover., March for voice and piano., Young woman dressed in two piece dress with large hat decorated with bows and roses sitting on a tree swing in a garden. Her elbow rests on her lap and her hand is on her chin. Her young soldier boyfriend rests his knee on the swing behind her and bends over to talk to her / Scott and Van Altena., Softly the moonlight is shining., Oh, Jennie dear tonight we're parting., Staff notation.
The girl who wears a red cross on her sleeve
words and music by William Mahoney., piano, voice, Title from cover., March for solo voice with piano., Red Cross nurse cradling an injured soldier in her arms. The two figures are superimposed in front of a large red cross / E.H. Pfeiffer., There's a gray haired mother in a far off town., There's a girl at the front among the soldiers., Staff notation.
For you and the grand old flag
words by Chas. Coleman ; music by T. Jay Flanagan., piano, voice, Title from cover., March for voice and piano., "The tremendous patriotic song hit.", Soldier embracing a young woman. Both are encircled by a large American flag / Jenkins., Hark hear the bugle is calling, calling for me to go., For you and the grand old flag., Staff notation.
The firing line
by Walter J. Pond., piano, Excerpt from the revue for piano solo., The "Ziegfeld danse de follies" was an alternate name for Ziegfeld's midnight frolic., Title from cover., For piano., "Dedicated to Max Schmidt"--Page 2., Battle scene with an army of men by a firing line fire their rifles, while silhouettes of an army is seen in the background / Rosenbaum Studios (R.S.), "Used in Ziegfeld's danse de follies" -- on cover., Staff notation.
The bell of freedom
by Karl Lenox., piano, Title from cover., For piano., View through the bell tower of the Liberty Bell with the Philadelphia skyline bordered by side bars with stars., Staff notation., "Liberty Bell 1776, Introducing church chimes"--Cover.
A mother's soldier boy
words & music by Jos. A. Curtis., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., "Respectfully dedicated to my friends The Skillman Club of Newark, N. J."--Page 4 of cover., Woman seated in a parlor chair holding a flag. A little boy stands in front of her resting a toy rifle on his shoulder with one hand and beating a drum he wears around his waist with the other. Above them in a cloud is a young man dressed as a soldier standing at a attention with a rifle and bayonet. At the bottom, a bald eagle holds a banner reading "A true American song" / R. H. Reiboldt., A little boy was playing war., Tramp Tramp Tramp, the boys are marching., Staff notation.
The dove of peace
by Otto Motzan., piano, Title from cover., Waltz for piano., Woman wearing a white toga style dress releases a dove. She stands on a marble staircase overlooking a lawn with a fountain with a forest beyond. The sun is rising over the entire scene., Staff notation.
Battle of the nations
by E. T. Paull., piano, Title from cover., March for piano., Chaotic battle scene including a biplane, dirigible, horses, and cannons., "Companion piece to the celebrated Napoleon's Last charge descriptive march."--Cover., Cover lithography by A. Hoen & Co., Richmond, Va., Publisher's advertisement on p.[4]: compositions and march arrangements by E. T. Paull. Page printed in red., Not in Vogel., Staff notation.
The dying soldier's message
words by F. N. Jellison ; music by L. A. Clark., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., Draw near, my dear old comrade., There's a chain clasped to a locket., Staff notation.
Her yankee soldier boy
words and music by James Francis Langan., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., Drawing of a soldier blowing a bugle set against a decorative background incorporating acanthus, flowers and a painters palette. Printed in blue., Hark! the sound of the bugle is calling., When she hears the bugle calling., Staff notation.
Du sollst der Kaiser meiner Seele sein
von Fritz Grünbaum und Wilhelm Sterk ; Musik von Robert Stolz., piano, voice, Title from caption., Arranged for voice and piano., Young woman dressed in elegant black two-piece outfit, skit and jacket. Circular, full, pleated skirt and long bell-sleeved waist coat with a ruffle collar. The coat flares out to a ruffle at the waist and is held together with three roses, one red and two blue. She wears a matching black cocktail hat with a red rose, black stockings, high-heeled shoes with red heels and long white gloves. She props her right hand on her waist and with her left rests a white handled cane with a red tassel on the ground beside her., Ich weiss ein Land, das ohne Schranken., Du, du, du sollst der Kaiser meiner Seele., NIU copy., Staff notation.
Bugle call rag
by J. Hubert Blake and Carey Morgan., piano, Title from cover., For piano., Soldier blowing a bugle with a military encampment in the background. Inset photos of Jean and Jeanette Warner. Photo of Warner has caption: "originator of the fox-trot." / Starmer., NIU copy., Staff notation.
Columbian
words by Denis A. McCarthy ; music by H. Theo. Gilday., piano, voice, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., Columbia standing on a pedestal holding a staff with her right hand with a liberty cap hanging on it. Her left hand rests on a shield beside her with stars and stripes that is standing upright on the pedestal. She is encircled by an oval wreath of laurel / E S Fisher., Land of our hearts while thy flag floats before us., Includes arrangement for soprano, alto, tenor and bass (p. 7), NIU copy., Staff notation.
Le clown-prince
texte et musique de Schaunard., piano, voice, Title from cover., Date from inserted leaf with lyrics., For voice and piano., "Au plus grand criminel de tours les temps.", Crown Prince Wilhelm depicted as a butcher standing by the window of a butcher shop. He holds a long knife in his left hand which he rests against the window sill standing upright. Inside the shop another butcher wearing a Prussian military helmet is cutting up the body of a man. The pieces are laying on the window sill. Both men are covered in blood. "Boucherie Hohenzollern" is written above the head of the Crown-Prince / Juliry(?)., Je n'sais si vos êt's comm' moi maisen l'all'magne je vois un'ménag'rie., NIU copy., Staff notation.
Gee, but it's good to get home
words by O.G. Griswold; music by Jane Jewett Draper., piano, voice, Title from cover., For voice and piano., "Dedicated to the National Guard.", Photograph of a victory parade of an unidentified army unit on a city street. Framed in an ornamental border with acanthus and shields of stars and stripes / E. S. Fisher., He answered the call of his nation's head., Gee, but it's good to get home, dear, Back from the Rio Grande., Advertisements for "Caroline, I'm coming back to you" on p. 4., Staff notation.
Are you half the man your mother thought you'd be?
words by Leo Wood ; music by Harry De Costa., piano, voice, Cover title., For voice and piano., At head of title: The song you've been reading about., Inset circle with an illustration of a mother reading to her small son against a sea of portraits of men. These include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt., Have you ever stopped to think of how you sat at mother's knee., Have you kept your promise to her., Staff notation.
Angel of Mons valse
by Paul Paree., piano, Title from cover., Waltz for piano., Warrior angel on a white horse holding up a sword rides over a battlefield., Staff notation.