Inventory of the Research materials pertaining to Marion Kappes' unpublished Index of folk tunes, [ca. 1930]-1941

Processed by The Music Library staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Xiuzhi Zhou
Music Library
Hargrove Music Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-2623
Email: music_reference@berkeley.edu
URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/music_library_archives
© 1997
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Research materials pertaining to Marion Kappes' unpublished Index of folk tunes, [ca. 1930]-1941

Collection number: ARCHIVES KAPPES 1

The Music Library



University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Contact Information

  • Hargrove Music Library
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
  • Phone: (510) 642-2623
  • Email: music_reference@berkeley.edu
  • URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/music_library_archives
Processed by:
The Music Library staff
Encoded by:
Xiuzhi Zhou
© 1997 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Research materials pertaining to Marion Kappes' unpublished Index of folk tunes,
Date (inclusive): [ca. 1930]-1941
Collection number: ARCHIVES KAPPES 1
Creator: Kappes, Marion, d. ca. 1943
Extent: Number of containers: 5 boxes
Repository: The Music Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language: English.

Administrative Information

Provenance

    Donor:
    Anne L. Kappes, sister of Marion. Address: 2237 Glenview Road, Glenview, Illinois.
    Date:
    April, 1956.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Music Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Research materials pertaining to Marion Kappes' unpublished Index of, ARCHIVES KAPPES 1, The Music Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Biography

Marion Kappes, probably d. in Evanston, Illinois about 1943.

Remarks

This collection of research materials represents the final stages of preparation before the Index of Folk Tunes went to the publisher, H. W. Wilson Company, New York. Evidently 114 published collections of folk tunes were to have been included in the publication (see the Correspondence for May 28, 1937 and the bound yellow chart mentioned in item 8 of this inventory). The Index was begun well before the year 1930 and continued actively until June, 1941. The project terminated due to the death of the compiler. It is evident that Miss Kappes was a passionate dilettante, who doggedly pursued a dream of publishing an index of world folk tunes. Her Indexwas intended to go beyond the catalogs of Minnie Sears, and actually contain the tunes.
It can be determined from the Correspondence (item 3 in this inventory) that Miss Kappes grappled with two fundamental problems: (a) For whom was the Index intended--the grade school teacher, the public librarian or for members of the American Folklore Society, like Prof George Herzog of Yale?, and (b) How were textual and melodic variants to be treated?
Marion Kappes used scrap paper for the "sheets" (her primary index cards). Much of the information on the verso sides of this paper pertained to her personally, and to her family. A cursory examination of these thousands of pieces of paper reveals the following:
  • (a) Miss Marion Kappes was the librarian for The Children's Memorial Hospital, 707 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
  • (b) Her residences were

    --March, 1930: 1936 East 85th Street, Cleveland, Ohio.

    --July, 1930: 2459 Prairie Street, Evanston Illinois.

    --February, 1934: 323 Hamilton Street, Evanston.

    --After September, 1935: 1115 Seward Street, Evanston.
  • (c) Her relatives were

    --Charles R. Kappes, father; owned a real estate company in Chicago.

    --Mary W. Kappes (?mother).

    --Anne L. Kappes, sister; donor of this collection.

    --Dr. Louise O. Kappes (?sister).

    --J. Henry Kappes (?brother).
In the summer of 1950, Anne L. Kappes requested the H. W. Wilson Company to reconsider publishing the Index, but this was turned down (see Correspondencefile).
The reason why this collection was deposited with the Music Library at U. C. Berkeley by the Kappes family, and not with some mid-western institution, is unknown.
An explanation of the indexing system (from a hand-copied note by Marion Kappes, no date):
  • "For convenience these papers are called ' Sheets,' 'Tickets,' and 'Music Cards'.
  • Sheets have been classified by countries and each tune given a number and filed systematically.
  • The same tune appears in many collections often under different titles. Sheets have been made for all such and clipped together under one number. About 5490 tunes have been thus numbered.
  • Perhaps 1500 to 2000 additional sheetsare made but not filed. A ticket has been made for each title and each first line of the song. These tickets[index cards] are filed in alphabetical order. An estimated 15,000 to 16,000 have been thus made and filed.
  • Sheets and tickets are all written by hand.
  • About 1500 music cards have been made. These music cards are supposed to be ready for the publisher."

 

Part I: General materials pertaining to the unpublished Index to Folk Tunes by Marion Kappes:

Box Box 1 , item 1.

Statement [by Professor Vincent Duckles] regarding the contents of the Marion Kappes archival collection, dated April, 1956. With the added annotation "Discarded after M. E. [Miss Minnie Elmer] checked against Sears Index" [i.e., against the entries in Minnie E. Sears Song Index (New York, H. W. Wilson Co., 1926 and 1934), 2 volumes].

Scope and Content Note

This folder also contains a hand-written explanation of the indexing system used in the Index of Folk Songs by Marion Kappes, no date.

There is also a card (4 x 6") containing a brief outline of what the planned Index would contain:

"8 tunes per page, 4000 tunes, 500 pages main section, 8 index entries per tune, 32,000 index entries, 200 pages a, b, c [i.e., alphabetical] index, theme index 20 to a column, 40 to a page, 100 pages, [entire catalog] about 800 pages, Edwards page 7 x 9", (Sears page size 6 3/4 x 10")."
item 2.

Samples of the principal sections of the Index of Folk Tunes.

 

(a) Preface (6 pages, typescript, 3 copies). Dated: "Marion Kappes, 1115 Seward St., Evanston, Illinois, September, 1936."

 

(b) List of libraries holding the published collections indexed by Marion Kappes (1 leaf, typescript).

 

(c) "Explanation of signs, etc. used in [the] classified index" (1 leaf, typescript).

 

(d) Samples of the general alphabetical index to the catalog (3 leaves, typescript).

 

(e) Samples of the tune index (3 printed examples).

 

(f) Samples of the final printed page (4 leaves).

item 3.

Correspondence file relating to the projected publication of the Index to Folk Tunes. These letters date from July 16, 1930 to September 22, 1938. 157 leaves. Arranged in chronological order. The file also contains a few letters to and from Anne L. Kappes, sister of Marion, dated July 28, 1950 to November 29, 1950 regarding the possible publication of the Index to Folk Tunes.

Scope and Content Note

Many of the letters are to and from Edith M. Phelps, secretary with the H. W. Wilson Company, New York, concerning the technicalities of publishing the Index of Folk Tunes. Other correspondents are:
 

Carl Engel, Music Division, Library of Congress; Mr. C. C. Birchard, Birchard and Company, Boston; J. Frank Dobie, University of Texas, Austin; Ruth Benedict, American Folk-Lore Society; George Herzog, Yale University; Charles J. Shaw, H. W. Wilson Company; Duncan Emrich, Folklore Section, Library of Congress, etc.

item 4.

Lists of published collections of folk songs which were used by Marion Kappes in her Index of Folk Tunes:

 

(a) List dated March 17, 1934 (see correspondence file for that date), 3 leaves, typescript.

 

(b) List dated October and November, 1936, 5 leaves, 6 copies.

 

(c) List dated May, 1937, 5 leaves, 2 copies.

 

(d) List dated May 28, 1937 (see correspondence file for that date), 1 leaf, 1 copy.

 

(e) Undated list bearing the inscription "Done, Doubtful, Discarded," 6 leaves, typescript.

 

(f) Undated list on large yellow loose sheets, 5 leaves, hand copied.

 

(g) 5 different lists on 5 large cards.

item 5.

Notes concerning the contents of published collections of folk tunes.

 

138 sheets of ruled paper, ink, hand-copied. No dates or place.

item 6.

Bound notebook (orange cover) bearing the inscription: "Notes for Index to Folk Tunes." 24 leaves with writing, about 1935 (see clippings), with miscellaneous material interleaved.

item 7.

Folder containing miscellaneous published advertisements. 17 items.

item 8.

Three (3) charts.

 

(a) Numerical chart, nos. 1-5490 classifying the indexed tunes by country; for example: American, nos. 1-804; Polish, nos. 4972-5026; Turkish, nos. 5384-5406, etc.

 

(b) bound chart (6 large yellow leaves) arranged by the symbols for the various published collections which were included in the Index to Folk Tunes.

 

(c) Definition of indexing terms.

 

Part II: Sheets"

Additional Note

Containing the following information about the folk song: (a) title; (b) text incipit; (c) melody transcribed in a special movable-do notational system; (d) name of the published collection which contains the folk song; (e) other. Spellings and arrangement by Miss Kappes.
 

Albanian, see Balkan.

 

Algerian, see North African.

 

Alsatian, see French.

Box Box 1 , item 9.

American, sheet numbers 1-804.

item 10.

American Negro, sheets 805-1176.

item 11.

Arabian and Persian, sheets 1177-1182.

item 12.

Austrian, sheets 1182a-1223.

 

Azores, see Spanish and Portugese.

 

Bahaman, see Latin American

item 13.

Balkan, sheets 1824-1261.

 

Basque, see Spanish and Portugese

 

Bavarian, see German.

item 14.

Belgian, sheets 1261a-1261n.

 

Bohemian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

 

Bosnian, see Jugoslavian.

 

Brandenburg, see German.

 

Breton, see French.

 

Bulgarian, see Balkan.

 

Carniolan, see Jugoslavia.

 

Cashmerian, see East Indian.

 

Catalonian, see Spanish and Portuguese

 

Chilean, see Latin American.

item 15.

Chinese, sheets 1262-1318.

 

Creole, see American and also Latin American.

 

Croatian, see Jugo Slav.

item 16.

Czechoslovakian and Roumanian, sheets 1318a-1424.

 

Dalmatian, see Jugoslavian.

item 17.

Danish, sheets 1425-1446.

item 18.

Dutch, sheets 1447-1647.

item 19.

East Indian, sheets 1648-1655.

 

Egyptian, see North African.

Box Box 2 , item 20.

English, sheets 1656-2282.

item 21.

Esthonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, sheets 2283-2298.

item 22.

Finnish and Laplandish, sheets 2299-2323.

item 23.

French and French Canadian, sheets 2324-2719.

 

Galician, see Polish.

item 24.

German, sheets 2720-3088.

 

Greek, see Balkan. [Numbers 3089 through 4299 were never assigned. (jae)].

Box box 3 , item 25.

Hawaiian, sheets 4300-4305.

 

Hebrew, see Jewish.

 

Herzegovinian, see Jugoslavian.

 

Hindustani, see East Indian.

item 26.

Hungarian, sheets 4306-4366.

 

Iceland, see Danish.

 

Indian, see either American Indian or East Indian.

item 27.

Irish, sheets 4367-4568.

 

Istrian, see Italian.

item 28.

Italian, sheets 4569-4729.

item 29.

Japanese, sheets 4730-4748.

item 30.

Jewish, sheets 4749-4830.

item 31.

Jugoslavian, sheets 4831-4897.

 

Kashmirian, see East Indian.

 

Laplandish, see Finnish.

item 32.

Latin American ,sheets 4898-4934.

 

Latvian, see Esthonian.

 

Lombardian, see Italian.

 

Macedonian, see Balkan.

 

Madeira, see Spanish and Portuguese.

 

Maltese, see Italian.

 

Martinique, see Latin American

 

Mexican, see Latin American.

 

Montenegrin, see Jugoslavian.

 

Moravian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

 

Moroccan, see North African.

 

Neapolitan, see Italian.

 

Netherland, see Dutch.

item 33.

North African, sheets 4935-4944.

item 34.

Norwegian, sheets 4945-4969.

 

Persian, see Arabian and Persian [North African].

item 35.

Phillipine, sheets 4970-4971.

item 36.

Polish, sheets 4971a-5026.

 

Portuguese, see Spanish and Portuguese.

 

Roumanian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

 

Ruthenian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

item 37.

Russian, sheets 5027-5185.

 

Sardinian, see Italian.

 

Serbian, see Jugoslavian.

 

Sicilian, see Italian

 

Silesian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

 

Slavonic, see Jugoslavian.

 

Slovakian, see Czechoslovakian and Roumanian.

 

Slovenian, see Jugoslavian.

item 38.

Spanish and Portuguese, sheets 5186-5227.

item 39.

Scotch, sheets 5228-5308.

 

Swabian, see German.

item 40.

Swiss, sheets 5309-5329.

item 41.

Swedish, sheets 5330-5383.

 

Syrian, see Turkish.

 

Transylvania, see Hungary.

 

Tripoli, see North African.

 

Tunisian, see North African.

item 42.

Turkish, sheets 5384-5406.

 

Tyrolean, see Austria.

 

Ukraine, see Russian.

item 43.

Welsh, sheets 5407-5490.

 

West Indian, see Latin American.

 

Westphalian, see German.

 

Yiddish, see Jewish.

 

Part III: "In progress" sheets.

Additional Note

[It is apparent that when the Marion Kappes index project terminated (due to illness about June, 1941) some sheets were being worked upon, and were not sufficiently complete to be interfiled with the finished batches (items 9-43 in this inventory). These "in-progress" sheets were grouped by the name of the published collection].
Box Box 4 , item 44.

BSE - Bantock, 100 Songs of England.

item 45.

CFC - Chateau Frontenac, Quebec.

item 46.

EDL - Erk, Deutscher Liederschatz.

item 47.

GWM-TU - Glenn, The World of Music, Tuning Up.

item 48.

HA - the source has not been determined (Norwegian songs).

item 49.

HSOE - I & II - Hatton, The Songs of England.

item 50.

PSBS - Perkins, The Silver Book of Songs.

item 51.

RS - Russell, Sing, Swing, Play.

item 52.

SMF - Sembrich, My Favorite Folk Songs.

item 53.

WCO - Wier, Child's Own Music Book.

item 54.

"Songs of the sea," taken from several publications.

item 55.

"American. Hold this bunch, music cards not made."

item 56.

"American. Abandoned sheets of southern Appalachians."

item 57.

"Unclassified." The sheets are marked with a special blue circle.

item 58.

"Unclassified." The sheets are marked consecutively with the numbers U-1 through U-229.

 

Part IV: "Tickets" (in 6 file boxes).

Additional Note

[According to Marion Kappes there are an estimated 15,000 to 16,000 "tickets." Actually these are index cards (slips of paper) containing the title and first line of each folk song, and filed alphabetically.]
Box Box 4 , item 59.

Texts beginning "A" through "Deo gratias" (box 1).

item 60.

Texts "Departure" through "H" (box 2).

Box Box 5 , item 61.

Texts "I" through "Merry" (box 3).

item 62.

Texts "Mes chers" through "R" (box 4).

item 63.

Texts "S" through "The traveller's return" (box 5).

item 64.

Texts "The treasure" through "Z" (box 6).

 

Part V: "In-progress" tickets.

Additional Note

[There are two batches of tickets which are not interfiled with items 59-64 in this inventory].
Box Box 5 , item 65.

RV - Rebbeling, Volkslieder Album.

item 66.

WCO - Wier, Child's Own Music Book.

 

Part VI: "Music cards" (in 2 file boxes).

Box Box 2-3, item 67-68.

According to Marion Kappes there are about 1500 "music cards." These index cards are ruled with a single five-line staff, and the melodies of the folk tunes have been added in ink, together with the published source in which they occur.