Contact the Special Collections Research Services Team!
Email: spcollections@psu.edu
Telephone: 814-865-1793
Campus Address:
104 Paterno Library
University Park Campus
Charles L. Blockson Collection on Paul Robeson
Programs of Paul Robeson concerts and songbook with forward by Paul Robeson
Hollywood Bowl program featuring Tsianina Redfeather
Charles Wakefield Cadman collection, 1905-1936 (01460)
The Colored Sacred Harp
Rare Books and Manuscripts, Black History & Literature
“The Art of Dancing Explained by Reading and Figures” by Kellom Tomlinson, London, 1735
Mary Ann O'Brian Malkin Dance Collection, 1531-1804
Hand-book of calisthenics and gymnastics: a complete drill-book for schools, families, and gymnasiums
Rare Books & Manuscripts, Allison-Shelley Collection
O'Neill's Music of Ireland
gift of Samuel Preston Bayard
Description of music (not included in pamphlet)
Pamphlet plays collection (02289)
The Labor Heritage Songbook, "Union Label" and "Union Maid"
Historical Collections and Labor Archives
American Music
American music is a significant part of the diversity of American culture. Special Collections contains a spectrum of music that speaks for many parts of America and American music-making. Below are examples of underrepresented communities and musical histories in American music.
It should be recognized that American music draws from backgrounds of all types, including ones that bring up difficult conversations surrounding race and culture. Many of these collections contain racist illustrations, lyrics, or depictions we find objectionable today, but were considered acceptable by majority groups in the past.
- Charles L. Blockson Collection on Paul RobesonThis collection documents Robeson's musical and theatrical career from 1924 to1960, as well as programs, catalogs, photographs, and ephemera from tribute events across the world after his death.
- Samuel Preston Bayard papers, 1935-1996Samuel Preston Bayard conducted fieldwork collecting folk songs and folklore. He was regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Anglo-American folk music.
- George Mauner sheet music collectionThis collection chiefly documents music created by American composers working in Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and contains approximately 4,000 pieces of popular music between 1841-1990.
- Pamphlet Plays collection, 1762-1975Collection of approximately 1200 primarily American acting editions of plays. Though often without music, important notes can be found in many that indicate musical settings were originally intended.
- Charles Wakefield Cadman collection, 1905-1936The papers of Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881-1946) contain a broad representation of his life and career as an American composer, pianist, and teacher. He was part of the "Indianist movement" between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in which Western-centric composers incorporated Indigenous American stories and music, often in a racist manner.
- Sarah S. Downing music booksThese volumes highlight the domestic nature of music-making for many early 19th-century women, and gives glimpses into the music they would have been learning and performing at the time.
- United Mine Workers of America Audio-Visual collectionMusic played an important role in the labor unions and movements of America, both ceremonially and as calls to action. Incidental capture of music is found on recordings of UMWA convention proceedings and speeches.
European Music
- May Ann O'Brian Malkin Dance CollectionDance manuals and notation books provide important social use context and can inform researchers on performance practice of music.
- Allison-Shelley Book CollectionContains books, including kindergarten manuals, on German music and mid-19th century music education. Many of these books evidence the rise of the middle-class and its relationship with music.
- Music Manuscripts from Rare Books collectionsMany archival items within Rare Books and Manuscripts are cataloged individually and can be found by setting specific locations in the Catalog's advanced search
- Bayard book collectionThis collection, donated by Samuel P. Bayard, contains a significant amount of music books related to Irish, English, and Scottish folk music history that supported his research of the genealogy of Appalachian and Eastern folk music in America.