Phonograph Records And Books Auction - ONLINE ONLY
Lot 1078:
Description
Brown wax cylinder record features the “Chinese War March” performed by the historic 23rd Regiment Band. The piece, Chinese War March, was originally composed by German composer Theodore Michaelis around 1885, and this particular performance by Gilmore’s famous 23rd Regiment Band of New York was recorded and released by Edison/Metropolitan around 1893–1895. It reflects a common late-Victorian musical trend of “Orientalism,” where Western military bands cleverly arranged exoticized, march-tempo melodies to capture the cultural fascination with the Far East. This piece includes a rare, early handwritten paper identification slip detailing the selection as record number 639 (noted as an amendment over 629), preserving authentic historical provenance. Objectively, the cylinder itself is in good, stable condition, presenting a clean surface with no visible cracks or deep detrimental marks, though it exhibits typical light surface clouding and minor age-related mold spotting. H 4.5″, W 2.5″, D 2.5″. Please see photos for condition. From the Allen Koenigsberg collection
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