Special Collections

Hours: Consult the permanent staff between 9:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays for the use of materials in the Music Library's Special Collections.

Gaylord Music Library Location

Gaylord Music Library Special Collections Services and Facilities

Gaylord Music Library Special Collections Rules and Procedures for Use

Archive collections

The Gaylord Music library houses archival manuscripts for many composers active in and around St. Louis as well as those composers with connections to Washington University.

Collections

In the fall of 1998, the Gaylord Music Library purchased a collection of Mozart and Beethoven first and early editions formerly part of Alan Tyson's personal collection.

Purchase of the Ernst C. Krohn Musicological Library in 1966 strengthened our resources with an outstanding collection of musical Festschriften and an extensive Americana collection of tune-books and hymnals, with many rarities. Archival materials in the Krohn Collection include notebooks, correspondence, scrapbooks, programs, and manuscripts, all reflecting St. Louis musical history.

The Sheet Music Collection, curated at its inception by Ernst Krohn, is an archive of major proportions. Initially the gift of the St. Louis Public Library it has increased in size and importance through purchases and gifts to the present time.

The George C. Krick Collection of Guitar Music is an important source of 19th- and early 20th-century solo literature. Its 21 volumes have been indexed by Alan Rosenkoetter and are available on microfilm and print-out. The library also has a small collection of materials from the Guitar Foundation of America.

The Belleville-Garnett Purchase of 1976 added numerous early editions and facsimiles of late 17th, through early 20th century composers. This material was purchased from St. Louis antiquarian dealer Anthony Garnett who had acquired it from a collector in Belleville, Illinois. All items are in the Online catalog.