30 Hundred-Year-Old Sheet Music Covers Celebrating the Joy and Thrill of Flight

PublishedFebruary 13, 2016

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Yes, music takes you places, and this was true 100 years ago too, when sheet music was the most widespread form of distributing popular music. And in the age of the Wright brothers, when powered flight started to gain ground, aviation became a significant theme in popular music. The following collection proves this very well.

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It is amazing and weird at the same time to see how the vision of aviation technology and early 20th century popular music were fitted together in these sheet music covers depicting travellers–both men and women–aboard all kind of aircraft–no matter lighter or heavier than air–in flight, even in outer space.

Ed Roberts: Aces High. Belwin, 1918.

Anton Weiss: Aero Travelers. Carl Fischer, 1909.

Harry J. Lincoln: A hummer–march two step. Vandersloot Music Pub. Co., 1914.

John L. Greenawald: American conquest–march and two step. Emil Ascher, 1911.

F.W. Meacham: American patrol–march. Morris Music Pub. Co., 1914.

J. Luxton: Battle in the sky. Church, Paxson & Co., 1915.

Charles Leslie Johnson: Cloud Kisser–rag, two step. Forster, 1911.

George Fairman: Davy Jones and his monoplane. Tell Taylor, 1911.

Fred Fisher: Come Josephine in my flying machine (Up she goes!). Shapiro, 1910.

Frank Chapin Cutler: Come to my castles, love. Cutler-Field Music Co., 1920.

George Evans: Come, take a trip in my air ship. Chas. K. Harris, 1904.

Max Kortlander: Drop me down in Dixie. Lee S. Roberts, 1918.

Julius K. Johnson: King of the air. Koninsky Music Co, 1910

Arthur Lange: If I could see as far ahead as I can see behind. Jos. W. Stern & Co, 1910.

Lee S. Roberts: I miss you Miss America. Jos. W. Stern & Co, 1916.

Harry Von Tilzer: Sleepy moon. Harry Von Tilzer Music Pub. Co, 1915.

Jessy L. Deppen: Skylark. Sam Fox Pub. Co, 1913.

Clifford V. Baker: A trip to the moon. Koninsky Music Co., 1907.

Frederick W. Hager: Sixty miles an hour. Jos. Morris Co, 1910.

Irving Bibo. Since Katy the waitress (became an aviatress). Irving Berlin, Inc, 1919.

Harry Von Tilzer: Says I to myself, says I. Harry Von Tilzer Music Pub. Co, 1917.

Alfred Solman: Smile on. Jos. W. Stern & Co, 1909.

Jack Glogau: The aeroplane. Will Rossiter, 1913,

T. Mayo Geary: The airships parade. Goetz, 1902.

Lew C. Smith: The air line. Seidel Music Pub. Co, 1915.

James M. Fulton: The aviator–march and two-step. Ernest S. Williams, 1908.

Albert Von Tilzer: Take me up with you dearie. York Music Co, 1909.

Isaac Doles: The air ship waltz. Issac Doles, 1891.

Louis A. Hirsch: Ev’rybody ought to know how to do the tickle toe new society dance from the musical play Going up. M. Witmark & SonsB. Feldman & Co, 1918.

Chas. L. Johnson: Dill pickles. Carl Hoffman Music Co, 1906.