Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music

The Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music is one of the treasures in the National Air and Space Museum Library. The earliest known aeronautical song was published in 1785. Entitled Chanson sur le Globe Aerostatique, it depicts a Montgolfier balloon ascending from the Tuilleries in Paris. This piece was followed by countless musical compositions dealing with all phases of aeronautics. "Wrong-Way" Corrigan had his bard, no less than Lindbergh. And there was always someone to opine musically about such disasters as the wreck of the dirigible Shenandoah or the Hindenburg. Most of the music written in the early 19th century until the age of the airplane, fell into three categories: songs expressing the author's desire to fly to distant lands or even to the moon, comic songs about ballooning mishaps, or purely romantic songs.

The importance of music as a mirror of the times has largely been overlooked in aeronautics. It remained for Bella Landauer, a veteran collector whose son was a pilot, to recognize it. She started collecting sheet music in the early 1920's, scouring music shops, publishing houses, auctions and private collections for sheet music with an aeronautics theme. She consulted publishers' lists and personally inspected old musical stock, gradually building up a formidable collection that included many rare scores, almost all with an illustrated cover. The pioneer days of flying in the United States brought a plethora of music which will be remembered nowhere except in Mrs. Landauer's collection.

-description exerpted from an essay by Paul McCutcheon on the original Landauer Collection website . 

Pages

Cover of "D'Rennerbub'n"

"D'Rennerbub'n"

Jurek, Wilhelm August; Renner family; C.G. Röder (Firm); Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Karl Mück
[1909?]
Cover of "Glück ab."

"Glück ab."

Köpping, Otto; Holthoff von Fassmann, Alexander; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
s.n
1916?]
Cover of A hummer

A hummer

Lincoln, Harry J.; Dittmar, W. J.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Vandersloot Music Pub. Co
c1914
Cover of A hymn for aviators / the words by Mary C.D. Hamilton ; the music by C. Hubert H. Parry

A hymn for aviators / the words by Mary C.D. Hamilton ; the music by C. Hubert H. Parry

Parry, C. Hubert H.; Hamilton, Mary C. D.; Butt, Clara, Dame; Boosey & Co.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Boosey & Co
c1915
Cover of A modern lullaby

A modern lullaby

Howard, John Tasker; Hemsley, Josephine; Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge
c1920
Cover of Accellerationen

Accellerationen

Strauss, Johann; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Carl Haslinger qm. Tobias
[1860]
Cover of Aces high

Aces high

Roberts, Ed; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Belwin
c1918
Cover of Aereotreno

Aereotreno

Becucci, Ernesto; Marchiò. Alfredo; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
G. Ricordi & C
c1901
Cover of Aerial flight

Aerial flight

Dupont, Edgar; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
C.F. Escher & Son
c1871
Cover of Aero travelers

Aero travelers =

Weiss, Anton; Pfeiffer, E. H.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Carl Fischer
c1909
Cover of Aeroplane

Aeroplane

Cox, Persis; Oliver Ditson Company.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Oliver Ditson Co
c1911
Cover of Aeroplane

Aeroplane

Read, Ezra; Cody, S. F.; Ritchie, Alick P. F.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
London Music Pub. Stores
[1910?]
Cover of Aeroplane dip

Aeroplane dip

Pryor, Arthur; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Carl Fisher
c1914
Cover of Aeroplane duet

Aeroplane duet

Berény, Henri; Stewart, Grant; Gainsborough, Thomas; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Jerome H. Remick & Co
c1911
Cover of Aéroplane captif

Aéroplane captif

Paans, W. J.; Pellegrini, Achille; Valéry, V.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Maison Musicale Moderne
c1909
Cover of Aëroplane

Aëroplane

Makomaski, Edmond de; Latham, Hubert; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Gebethner et Wolff
[1909?]
Cover of Ahmed at Kamel [i.e. Ahmed al Kamel]

Ahmed at Kamel [i.e. Ahmed al Kamel]

Timm, Henry C.; Finn, Henry J.; Horn, Charles E.; Irving, Washington; Childs, J.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
C.E. Horn
c1840
Cover of Air king

Air king

Appel, Harry; De Takacs, André C.; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Seminary Music Co
c1911
Cover of Airship march =

Airship march =

Schneider, F. W.; Zeppelin, Ferdinand, Graf von; Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
The "Hit" Musical Pub. Co., F.W. Schneider & Co
c1908
Cover of Allzeit bereit!

Allzeit bereit!

Blon, Franz von; C.G. Röder (Firm); Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music (Smithsonian Institution. Libraries)
Otto Wernthal
c1913

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