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The Harmonie Society of Detroit, also known as the Harmonie Club of Detroit, was an organization that allowed German American members of the Detroit community the opportunity to come together and sing traditional German music. The building, which still stands at 267 East Grand River, became a gathering place for German Americans. The collection consists of organizational records, sheet music and songbooks used by the members of the club. Also included are photographs, audio recordings, and programs from German music festivals.

The materials within the Harmonie Society of Detroit (or, the Harmonie Club) records cover the organizations operations and history. The bulk of the collection consists of sheet music that was used by the Society members.

This volume contains pre-printed music staves, on which Jane Patton wrote musical notes and lyrics for compositions ranging from light opera to popular songs. Most of the works are instrumentals, but a number of vocal pieces are present. Some of the titles include "Hewitt's Quick Step" by T. Rebhun, "Listen to the Convent Bells," "La Poule," Kathleen Mavoreen," and "Oh! Dinna Ask Me," as well as a few pieces by Thomas Haynes Bayley, such as "Isle of Beauty, Fare Thee Well." Some tunes have manuscript notations such as "from Harriet Taylor" or "from Harriet Scott." The printed pages are marked "ORRS' IMPROVED."

This volume contains pre-printed music staves, on which Jane Patton wrote musical notes and lyrics for compositions ranging from light opera to popular songs. Most of the works are instrumentals, but a number of vocal pieces are present. Some of the titles include "Hewitt's Quick Step" by T. Rebhun, "Listen to the Convent Bells," "La Poule," Kathleen Mavoreen," and "Oh! Dinna Ask Me," as well as a few pieces by Thomas Haynes Bayley, such as "Isle of Beauty, Fare Thee Well." Some tunes have manuscript notations such as "from Harriet Taylor" or "from Harriet Scott." The printed pages are marked "ORRS' IMPROVED."

The Manuscript Sheet Music collection is made up of manuscript music scores, correspondence, and composers' autographs.

The Manuscript Sheet Music collection (approximately 140 items) contains manuscript music scores and composers' autographs, as well as correspondence and other items.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of around 80 music scores, which range in length from one line to several pages; some are complete works, and some are fragments. Most of the brief melodies are accompanied by the composers' signatures and may have been intended as autograph gifts. The longer works are mainly piano and/or vocal scores, and some include lines for violin with piano accompaniment. Lyrics, when present, are written in English and German. Some of the scores are dated and signed, and a few were written in German cities. The cover of the score for "Barcarola" includes an engraving of "The Great Western crossing the Atlantic," and Harry Keyser's "Two Etudes for Pianoforte" is accompanied by a letter by the composer. A manuscript music book belonging to "Th. Hämb, Junior" contains several short pieces with lyrics in a Nordic language.

Additional autographed items include 25 autograph cards, 8 autograph musical quotations, 10 sheets of paper (some with inscriptions), and a photograph of violinist A. Rivarde. Many of the autographed cards, which are the size of business cards or visiting cards, are dated at Chicago in the mid- to late 1880s. The collection's 8 letters (in English, German, and Italian) include one man's opinion of a performance of "Wanda" and a letter illustrated with lines of music. Additional items are a program for a Manchester, New Hampshire, performance of the comic opera Jonah, an ink drawing of a decaying stone building, and lines of poetry or musical lyrics.