Title: Villa Louis Music Collection
Inclusive Dates: 1825-1944

Call Number: Mss 666

Quantity: 6.0 c.f. (16 flat boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Published and manuscript music kept by members of the Dousman Family at Villa Louis, their home in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; including some compositions by Virginia Dousman Bigelow. Present is sheet music, anthologies, method books, manuscript compositions and notes, and miscellany. The copyright dates span 1825-1944 and most seem to have been printed about the time of copyright. The sheet music predominantly was published in the United States though some comes from Germany and France. The bulk of the sheet music dates 1890-1905 and includes numerous examples of what was designated “coon music” which now would be considered derogatory caricatures of Blacks.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00666

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Sheet music and other material apparently collected over the years by the Dousman family of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The Dousmans were among the earliest settlers of Prairie du Chien and built Villa Louis, a Victorian home on the Mississippi River, now a Wisconsin historic site operated by the State Historical Society. The material seems to have been used in family and social gatherings and in the education of the Dousman children. The bulk of the collection is in the category SHEET MUSIC, published between 1825 and 1944. It constitutes a sample of the musical tastes of the times. The sheet music is conspicuous by the inclusion of a large number of pieces which, by today's standards, would be considered unflattering caricatures of Blacks. The unbound sheet music is arranged alphabetically by title; there are also five bound volumes which include many of the earliest dated pieces. Both popular and classical music is present.

The collection also includes ANTHOLOGIES (much like the sheet music) and METHOD BOOKS for piano, guitar, and voice. There is also a small amount of MANUSCRIPT MUSIC, the most important of which are the original compositions of Virginia Dousman Bigelow, including “Notes on Songs by Virginia D. Bigelow with introduction of Mr. Abbott and Mr. Kelliher who played and sang these songs at Villa Louis.” There are also three folders of MISCELLANY (mostly operas and trio albums) and a series of FRAGMENTARY AND LOOSE SHEETS made up of incomplete material and material that could not be identified, but consisting mostly of fragments of sheet music.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from Villa Louis by curator Michael Douglas, 1984. Accession Number: M84-032

	Series: Sheet Music
	Unbound
Box   1 Folder   1	A
Box   1 Folder   2	B
Box   1 Folder   3	C
Box   1 Folder   4	D-E
Box   2 Folder   1	F-G
Box   2 Folder   2	H
Box   2 Folder   3	I-J
Box   2 Folder   4	K-L
Box   3 Folder   1	M
Box   3 Folder   2	N-0
Box   3 Folder   3	P-Q
Box   3 Folder   4	R
Box   4 Folder   1	S
Box   4 Folder   2	T-U
Box   4 Folder   3	V-Y
Box   5 Folder   1	Bound
Box   6 Folder   1-3	Bound
Box   7 Folder   1	Bound
	Series: Anthologies	⇧
Box   7 Folder   2-3	Classical Music
Box   8 Folder   1	Patriotic Songs
Box   8 Folder   2	Music by Ethelbert Nevin
Box   8 Folder   3	Mandolin Collection (volumes 1-2)
Box   8 Folder   4	Spanish Dances
Box   8 Folder   5	Popular Melodies of 1890 for Violin and Piano
Box   8 Folder   6	Opera Melodies
Box   8 Folder   7	Hauser Pieces
Box   9 Folder   1-3	Incomplete and Unidentified Anthologies
	Series: Method Books	⇧
Box   10 Folder   1-2	Piano
Box   11 Folder   1	Piano
Box   11 Folder   2	Guitar
Box   11 Folder   3	Theory
Box   12 Folder   1	Voice
Box   12 Folder   2	Incomplete and Unidentified Method Books
	Series: Manuscript Music	⇧
	Original Compositions by Virginia Dousman Bigelow
Box   12 Folder   3	Notes on Songs by Virginia D. Bigelow with introduction of Mr. Abbott and Mr. Kelliher who played and sang these songs at Villa Louis
Box   12 Folder   4	“Beloved Home”
Box   12 Folder   5	“Dear Villa Louis”
Box   12 Folder   6	“God Answers Prayer” and “In My Garden”
Box   12 Folder   7	“Jean Joseph Rolette” Note: Words, not music, by V.D.B.
Box   12 Folder   8	“Lullaby” and “My Bonnie Wee Baby”
Box   13 Folder   1	“The Old House”
Box   13 Folder   2	“Remembering” and “Time”
	Transpositions (Numerical Solfege)
Box   13 Folder   3	A-M
Box   13 Folder   4	N-Z
Box   13 Folder   5	Theory Guide Worksheet
Box   13 Folder   6	Unidentified Manuscript Music
Box   13 Folder   7	Lyrics
	Series: Miscellany	⇧
Box   14 Folder   1	“Songster”; Opera Libretto; Thematic Catalogue; two monthly magazines
Box   14 Folder   2	Opera; Cantata
Box   14 Folder   3	Trio Albums
	Series: Fragmentary and Loose Sheets	⇧
Box   15 Folder   1	Front Covers without Music
Box   15 Folder   2	Back Covers without Music
	Known Titles
Box   15 Folder   3	A-M
Box   15 Folder   4	N-Y
Box   16 Folder   1	Unidentified Music