Scope and Content Note
Materials in the John Philip Sousa Collection span from 1849 to 2004, with the bulk dating from 1880 to 1980. The Music series has three subseries. The Music by Sousa subseries contains works composed by John Philip Sousa, including marches, operettas, songs, dances, suites, incidental music, and humoresques. While most compositions are represented by holograph full scores for band or orchestra, scores for piano, and sketches, there are also instrumental parts and some printed music. The works in this subseries are also listed in Appendix A by genre.
The Music Arranged or Transcribed by Sousa subseries contains popular songs and dances, selections from operas and operettas, and classical and romantic works by other composers that John Philip Sousa arranged or transcribed. The materials chiefly consist of holograph full scores for band, though holograph full scores for orchestra and photocopies of parts are also present. Works by composers other than Sousa comprise the Music by Others subseries. These materials include holograph, manuscript, and printed scores and parts for band, orchestra, and piano that composers hoped Sousa would perform, wrote in tribute to him, or presented as gifts, as well as other works. Among the oldest items are the theory and composition exercise books that George Felix Benkert used when teaching Sousa.
Though Sousa established a corporation during his lifetime, the bulk of the Business Papers of John Philip Sousa, Inc. pertain to the business dealings of John Philip Sousa, Inc. after his death, as managed by his wife and heirs. Materials include articles, contracts, copyrights, correspondence, financial documents, memoranda, permission requests, and royalty statements from legal representation, publishers, performing rights organizations, producers, performers, and scholars. There is also biographical information about several Sousa family members.
The Photographs series primarily contains images of John Philip Sousa and his Sousa Band, though there are also family photographs present. Those of Sousa include both portraits and snapshots. The Sousa Band is shown during concerts, rehearsals, and on national and international tours, as well as performing longstanding engagements at venues such as Willow Grove Park, the Atlantic City Steel Pier, and the New York Hippodrome.
Three of John Philip Sousa's books, The Fifth String, Pipetown Sandy, and The Transit of Venus, are available in the Writings series as drafts. Also present are an essay and poetry/lyrics. The Miscellany consists of advertisements, artwork, magazines, posters, programs, and stamps, most of which feature John Philip Sousa or The Sousa Band.