I often get given items relating to research I undertook on a music retail and publishing company, Charles Begg & Co Ltd.  I think I’m seen as the unofficial archivist for the business and have gathered quite a collection of different things since I published the history of the company.

Recently I was given a small catalogue of sheet music published by the Australian publisher, Albert’s, sometime after 1910 and  prior to World War One.  

The reason I was given it is the business I am interested in, which is a New Zealand one, has its name printed on the cover of the catalogue –  along with branches it had open at that time.  This little catalogue (9.5cm x 15.5cm) would have been given to customers to promote Begg’s as well as Albert’s.

Inside are samples of pieces published by Albert’s, with a cover illustration and the first few bars of the piece, all designed to whet the customer’s appetite for the latest tunes of the day.  I’m confident in dating this catalogue prior to 1914 as there are no war themed pieces, hundreds of which were published during the First World War.  The closest is Colonel Bogey’s Popular Marches seen in the catalogue,

and in a later edition (after 1926) of the sheet music form here.  I love the colours of the cover.

It’s possible to glean a lot about popular musical taste from a booklet like this.  The book includes marches, fox trots, waltzes, novelettes and caprices – echoes of a different world.  At the back there is a list of other publications of Albert’s including such intriguing titles as “Can You Tame Wild Cairo Wimmen?”, I’ve Lost My Heart in Maoriland”, Good Gravy Rag” and “Umbrellas to Mend”.

Funnily enough, given the thousands and thousands of pieces of music published at this time, I have one of the pieces advertised in the catalogue, “Black & White Rag”(1908)  but unfortunately I can’t tell if the customer purchased it from Begg’s or not as there’s no retailer’s stamp.  I like to think Begg’s did sell this copy – it just completes the picture somehow.