She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain

Uncredited illustration for this 1935 sheet music. And yowza, yowza, yowza! Here's the Old Maestro, Ben Bernie!

Regular Morty the Dog readers know this is really the tune for that hit song, "I Haven't Seen My Underpants in Weeks."

Idolizing

Floyd M. Storm illustrated the cover of this 1926 sheet music. Like our late local muralist James Abbott, Storm's work is much better handling backgrounds than people.

Just a Memory

This uncredited illustrator presented a bit of nostalgia in 1927. That is one very strange looking tree, I must say.

The Web of Love

A great cover graphic by Porter M. Griffith on this sheet music, copyright 1929. The artifact is interesting on many levels. For openers the piece is printed on a single sheet and folded. This early talking film was "personally directed" by James Cruze. Apparently part of it was in color!

The movie is about a ventriloquist who is slowly going insane. I have to wonder. This stack of scores originally belonged to my great grandmother, Jennie Hoss. Her brother, Lafe Reeves, worked as a barber but he was also an accomplished ventriloquist. I wonder if he was teased about this movie? 

Home on the Range

This 1935 sheet music is bereft of credits for the cover graphics unless the artist's name is somehow cleverly hidden in the grass.

The Bluebird

Even though this is copyright 1916, published in 1919, this uncredited cover graphic still has a very 1890s look to it. Thank goodness Art Deco came along and rescued this medium!

I Feel You Near Me

Sheet music from a very early (1930) talkie. Movie soundtrack music usually used photos rather than hand-created graphics for the printed covers. Love the Red Star logo.

Sing Me a Baby Song

This 1927 cover was illustrated by "J.R.," who is probably well known to students of this genre, but I am still learning. Very nice job and representative of the era.

One Night of Love

No art credits on this 1934 sheet music cover, but it does include a mention of Lyle Talbot, known to legions of Ed Wood fans for his role as General Roberts in Plan 9 from Outer Space.

So Tired

It's 1943 and all the good graphic artists must in uniform, explaining why this sheet music has such a boring cover.

Pecos Bill

A song from the 1948 Disney film, Melody Time. The cartoonist who actually drew the cover is uncredited. Any of you cartoon history folks want to take a guess who this artist might be?

An Apple Blossom Wedding

It looks like the standards for sheet music covers had declined by 1947, when Nick drew this cover.

Marx Brothers fans might recognize Kenny Baker as the straight man in At the Circus. 

In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town

From 1932, with a nice line drawing cover by Harris. Note the electric power lines.

Also a fun ad on the back cover.

Ciribiribin

From 1935 with a stripped down Art Deco cover.

Yup, the ol' Yeast Foam Program. That title sure has a nice ring to it, eh?

Penny Serenade

Nice cover on this 1938 piece, but the illustrator's name has been cut off by the printer. The back cover has some fun ads.

That Beautiful Home of the Rose

This 1922 piece from Portland, Oregon is another rare example of Pacific Northwest sheet music. Unfortunately all that I have from this collection is the front cover and verso images. The cover artist is not credited.