Spanish Songs Of Old California

LUMMIS, CHARLES F. [COLLECTED AND TRANSLATED BY]

Publication: Charles F Lummis, 1923, Los Angeles

First edition. 4to. Pictorial tan stapled wrappers [cover drawing by Ed Borein], 35 [1] pp., pianoforte accompaniments by Arthur Farwell. Musical scores printed throughout with verses in both Spanish and English. This collection of Californio-American folk songs captured by Lummis during his 20-year long project to collect Southwestern Hispanic-American song lyrics and music which were rapidly disappearing at the outset of the 20th Century. As founder of the Los Angeles Southwest Museum, he managed to convince the Archaeological Institute of America to fund his project to record Californio folk songs, after buying an Edison recorder, horn, and wax cylinders in 1904, and engaging the efforts of noted composer, Arthur Farwell. Although Lummis continually promised the Southwest Society that he was producing songbooks of the Several hundred songs transcribed and harmonized, by 1923, these fourteen were the first to be put in print. Many of the songs are still recognized, recorded, and performed by Hispanic-American artists, and groups. Lummis hired such noted Californio-American singers as Manuela Garcia, featuring Mexican-American guitarist Rosendo Uruchurtu, Rosa and Luisa Villa, the del Valle Family, Adalaida Kamp, and Francisco Amate. This copy is from the library of former California State Librarian, Gary Kurutz. Light wear to the spine panel with a small chip to top edge of the front cover next to the head of spine and a faint horizontal crease due to the booklet having been folded some long time ago. Overall a near fine copy.

Inventory Number: 53140