February 20 – May 9, 2010
The Power of Music: Photographic Portraits of Americans and Their Musical Instruments, 1860-1915
This exhibition provides a rare insight into the prevalence of performed music among 19th century Americans. With the birth of photography, many musicians—including Civil War soldiers, cowboys, Vaudeville performers and middle-class Victorians—were able to pose with their favorite instruments to show their pride and love of music. The images were collected over a period of 25 years by historian and musician Mark L. Gardner and the vast majority have never been published or assembled for public view.