The Lover's Forget-Me-Not, and songs of Beauty: A Choice Collection of Sentimental, Comic, and Temperance Songs, with all the late Negro Melodies. Philadelphia: John B. Perry, 1845. 48mo (3 x 4 1/2 in.), containing numerous woodcuts (soiling, wear to interior, few inked notations, lacking pages 127/8 and 229/30). Bound in leather (significant surface wear, some edge and corner loss). SCARCE: WorldCat locates one institutional holding of this edition.

[With:] Jubilee Songs and Plantation Melodies. (Words and Music,) Specially Arranged by Prof. J.J. Sawyer, and Sung by The Original Nashville Students, the Celebrated Concert Company. Chicago: H.B. Thearle, 1884. 8vo. Music and lyrics for 15 songs. (Toned pages, very occasional small tear at edge). Original publisher's chromolithographic wrappers (front wrapper and first page detached, corner and edge loss to wrappers and interior pages, chipping, short tears). The group of 8 or 9 singers was formed in Chicago in about 1882 and toured widely until at least 1890.  

[With:] BLACK, James Milton (1856-1938), editor. Songs of the Soul No. 2. For Use In......Sunda Evening Congregations, Revivals, Camp-Meetings, Social Services and Young People's Meetings. Cincinnati, OH, et al. and New York et al: Curts & Jennings and Eaton & Mains, 1897. 8vo. Hymnal music. (Toned.) Original illustrated boards (scuffing, toned). 

FIRST EDITION, second (?) printing with early publication of "When the Saints are Marching In" as hymn No. 59 on p. 59. With lyrics by Katharine E. PURVIS (1843-1907) and music by James Milton BLACK who also edited the hymnal. While this version does differ from the jazz standard, James Fuld regards this as the first known publication of the Black spiritual with "words and music quite similar to those in present form". The more recognizable version did not appear until 1927. Only one other copy of the first edition was located, held at Western Kentucky University with both the cover and title page bearing 1896. The copy here bears the copyright date of 1896 on the cover and on the music, however, 1897 is printed on the title page. RARE: OCLC locates only 1 copy held at Western Kentucky University, no other copies of the 1897 printing were located at the time of cataloging.

[Also with:] BOATNER, Edward, editor. Spirituals Triumphant Old and New. Nashville, TN: Sunday School Publishing Board, copyright 1927. 8vo. Hymnal music. Original wrappers. Cover notes that it is "Revised and Enlarged", and appears to be a modern facsimile copy.

Together, 4 items.