This Musical Collection, 1901-1927, undated, 3.5 cubic ft. (in 7 boxes, 1 Ov. folder), consists mostly of published, copyrighted dance band music. This collection documents Michigan music publishing companies and distribution companies used by dance bands prior to 1930, and, to a lesser extent, some individual Michigan publishers and/or composers, including Susie Adams, Joseph H. Hughes, and R. Harry Richardson. The smaller publishers may have been Michigan town newspaper publishers. There are also some examples of tunes with Michigan or a Michigan town in the title. Overall the music is in good condition, but some of it is becoming acidic. There are some songs which are incomplete, missing, for example, a trumpet or viola part. All of the music is letter-size except for the one folder of oversized music.
Most of the music was published by the Detroit branch of New York publisher Jerome H. Remick. Other publishers include: Jos. H. Hughes, Saginaw, and Michigan Music P.C. [Publishing Company], Saginaw. [Joseph H. Hughes is listed in OCLC as a composer who worked with arranger R. Harry Richardson. They composed a patriotic song, “I love my home land,” which was published in Saginaw in 1917.]
The collection is organized as follows: Basic dance band music from these three publishers, organized alphabetically by title (Boxes 1-5); 2-sided, dance band music with one song printed on the front side, and a second song printed on the back side of the same piece of music, organized alphabetically by title (Boxes 6-7). The last two folders in Box 7 include Advertising Materials from the Jerome H. Remick Company, Detroit, 1913-1917, undated; and manuscript music for the tune “She Rests…,” composed by Susie Adams, stamped R. Harry Richardson Co., W. Bay City, 1901. Oversized materials (in 1 Oversized folder) include five songs, three published in Saginaw, two by Jos. H. Hughes and one by Williams Song P.C. The last two songs include one published by the Grinnell Bros., Detroit, 1908, and the song “Ypsilanti,” published by a Chicago firm, undated. For each piece of music the folder label includes: title, composer, publisher name and location, and date. All boxes are letter-size .5 cubic foot, except Box 5 which is letter-size .25 cubic foot.
Processing Notes: During processing approximately 5 cubic feet of materials were withdrawn from the collection and returned to the donor, as per the donor agreement. This material included duplicates, concertina music, published music journals and catalogs, and miscellaneous, peripheral items. A few Michigan business fliers or brochures were added to the Michigan vertical files.
Biography:
Charles Edward Scherzer was born on December 26, 1892 or 1893. He served overseas for fourteen months in the U.S. Army in World War I. A lifelong resident of Saginaw County, Michigan, he married Anna W. Wuelpern in 1918. Together they had one child, Jane Ann Scherzer (1924-).
His first recorded occupation was as a stock keeper in the automobile industry (as noted in his 1917 WWI registration, in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, and in the 1923 U.S. City Directories). His next occupation was that of a stock clerk in the garage industry (as noted in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census and in the U.S. City Directories from 1927 to 1930). After that, he was a collector, in 1931, and a salesman of some sort, 1932 to 1933 (as noted in the U.S. City Directories).
Scherzer also directed an orchestra which played at many engagements and social affairs throughout the county. The orchestra played popular dance music of the day, as well as tunes with Michigan town names in the titles, and concertina music. The orchestra included piano, woodwinds, brass, string instruments and percussion. He was also a well-known local musician.
Scherzer was a member of S. John’s Lutheran Church, Saginaw, and the American Legion.
On January 27, 1934 Scherzer died at the age of forty and was buried in Oakland Cemetery, Saginaw. He was survived by his wife and daughter, his mother, and four siblings. (This information is from his obituary in the collection.)
