Peerless Quartet With "Tenting On The Old Camp Ground" Lakeside Indestructible Cylinder Record

The American Civil War 150th Anniversary Observance continues with a song from the era called "Tenting On The Old Camp Ground".  As a matter of fact, this song was published 150 years ago this year so this is a very, very special Sesquicentennial moment.  "Tenting On The Old Camp Ground" was written in 1863, and published one year later in 1864.  A man named Walter Kittredge authored the song.  Walter was drafted into the Union Army and was shortly after discharged because he had rheumatic fever.
 
The vocal group performing on the record is the Peerless Quartet and the issue number is 1079.

In addition to a Lakeside Indestructible Cylinder Record and an Amberola Phonograph, I have two specimens of sheet music and two postcards.

Although some online sources reference the year 1909 as the date of this record, I read that the company did not begin to issue cylinders until 1910.

I filmed the introduction of the video on May 17 which is Armed Forced Day so I can tie that into this video as well.

Photographs ...

A very nice display:



Both of these sheet music specimens have copyright protection registration dates of 1864 on the covers ...










This circa 1910 postcard included the lyrics so you can read along as you listen to the song:







Now ladies and gentlemen, "Tenting On The Old Camp Ground" ...



Thank you all for watching and continuing to observe the American Civil War Sesquicentennial.

The 2014 New Jersey State History Fair At Washington Crossing State Park In Titusville

On May 10, I once again went to the NJ History Fair at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville.  Most of my time was spent talking to people from the Grover Cleveland (hopefully we can team up for a presentation later this year) and the 1853 House.

The following are photographs and a video from the event ...

















In the video below, you will see someone playing a violin from around 1760 and an English guittar (yes, "guittar" ... two "t"'s) from 1710 to 1800.  He also has a dancing Benjamin Franklin marionette.  It was great to see these original instruments at the Fair!

Dixie Medley By Fred Van Eps 1912 Blue Amberol Cylinder Record Concludes Confederate History Week

Good evening everyone.  This is Michael.  The Sun Has Set On Confederate History Week.  It is May the second 2014 and this is the seventh and final episode in the series.  It is Friday night and we are going to party the way they did in the Old South.  I once again brought out the Thomas Edison Amberola Phonograph Model VI-B.  I have a record titled "Dixie Medley" by Fred Van Eps (sometimes spelled Epps) for you.  This could also be considered a general Southern medley.  I am sure you will recognize a number of songs in the medley.

This record was pressed and released in 1912 and the issue number is 1532.  Fred Van Eps was born in 1878 and passed away in 1960.  Fred himself owned an Edison Phonograph ... as a matter of fact, he was the first person in his city to own one!  Source: http://www.gracyk.com/fredvaneps.shtml

Here is a video with the song:


Photographs of the cylinder ...




Here I am playing some air banjo to the music!






I thank all of you for being a part of Confederate History Week here at the Michael The Researcher channel.

Information about the record can be found at this link:
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1016%20&query=1532&num=1&start=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=id

Two General Marcus J. Wright Letters As Part Of Confederate History Week On May 1, 2014

It is May the first 2014.  I have extended Confederate History Week to seven days.  Today is episode number six and in this episode, I am going to discuss Confederate Brigadier General Marcus Wright.  Marcus Wright is one of two Confederate Generals buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  The other is Joseph Wheeler.  After the Conflict, Marcus Wright worked at the United States Navy Yard in Tennessee and then the War Department in Washington, DC.  He was in the War Records Office and specifically acted as an agent for the collection of Confederate records.
 
I have two letters for you in the embedded video below.  Both were sent by Marcus Wright.  They are from 1896 and 1911 and both pertain to war records.  The video can also serve as a brief signature study and a brief handwriting analysis.



Photographs ...






Links for further reading:
 http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/mjwright.htm
 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rgwomack/wright.htm
 http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/wrightmarcus/wright.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Joseph_Wright