Historical Publication Info
History
Firth of New York was the publisher of Stephen Foster's songs, from the 1850s onwards.
John Firth was born in Yorkshire, England in 1789. In 1810 he arrived in New York and after military service in the War of 1812 both he and his future partner William Hall (1796-1873) found work with the instrument maker Edward Riley.
Firth left in 1815 to establish his own shop and was joined in 1821 by Hall thus creating the firm Firth & Hall. In addition to manufacturing musical instruments the firm published sheet music at least as early as 1833. In that year Sylvanus Billings Pond (1792-1871) was admitted into partnership and the firm was renamed Firth, Hall & Pond.
The business re-organized again in 1847 when Hall left establishing his own firm William Hall & Son while Thaddeus Firth and William A. Pond (d.1885), sons of the two remaining partners, were admitted into the firm which was renamed Firth, Pond & Co.
In 1863 the firm was split up, with the Ponds forming William A. Pond & Co., and the Firths forming Firth, Son & Co. John Firth died on September 10, 1864 and the firm continued to be run by his son Thaddeus until it was sold to Oliver Ditson Company in March, 1867.
Firth primarily published popular songs and piano pieces. By far, its most valuable commodity was the popular songs of Stephen Foster.
Editions
Imprints, Addresses, Agencies
Imprints
- John Firth (1815-1820) - Probably manufactured instruments only.
- Firth & Hall (1821-1832) - Imprint was still in use in the 1840s.
- Firth, Hall & Pond (1833-1847)
- Firth, Pond & Co. (1847-1863)
- Firth, Son & Co. (1863-1867)
Addresses
- 1 Franklin Square, New York (1832-1856)
- 239 Broadway, New York (1846) - address for Firth, Hall & Pond at same time that Firth & Hall were located at Franklin Square
- 547 Broadway, New York (1857-1863)
- 563 Broadway, New York (1864-1867)
Plate Numbers
Firth & Hall and Firth, Hall & Pond appear to have used either no plate numbers or an abbreviation of the work's title followed by the number of plates. Plate numbers for Firth, Pond & Co. and Firth, Son & Co. were issued in a fairly regular chronological fashion in the format of ####..
Firth & Hall and Firth, Hall & Pond
Firth, Pond & Co. and Firth, Son & Co.
Plate |
Composer |
Work |
Year
|
470 |
Zorer |
The May Breezes (trans. English by Leland) |
1849
|
472 |
Underner |
Magdalena Polka |
1849
|
610 |
Zorer |
Der vogel und die schlinge |
1850
|
644 |
Hoffman |
Grande Fantasie on Here's To You, Harry Clay |
1850
|
664 |
Abbott |
The Badger Polka |
1850
|
797 |
La Hache |
Woodman, Spare that Tree |
1850
|
821 |
Wels |
Grand Funeral March (arr. piano solo) |
1850
|
874 |
Wels |
The Polka for the People |
1850
|
931 |
Wels |
Solitude and Memory, Op.6 |
1851
|
950 |
Taubert |
4 Gesänge, Op.74 (no.1 arr. for Guitar by Zorer) |
1851
|
1026 |
Dressler |
The Sea Steamer Schottisch, Op.16 |
1851
|
1083 |
Brown |
Happy Family Polka |
1851
|
1094 |
Wels |
The Opal Waltzes, Op.8 |
1851
|
1102 |
Leutner |
The Gipsey Polka (arr. for solo piano) |
1851
|
1555 |
Dressler |
The Blossom Schottisch, Op.8 |
1852
|
1624 |
Messemaeckers |
La favorite, Op.59 |
1852
|
1668 |
Wels |
Spirito Gentil, Op.9 |
1852
|
1883 |
Wels |
3 Lays of the People, Op.10 (no.1) |
1853
|
1884 |
Wollenhaupt |
Grand march de concert, Op.19 |
1853
|
1925 |
Wels |
3 Lays of the People, Op.10 (no.2) |
1853
|
1928 |
Wels |
3 Lays of the People, Op.10 (no.3) |
1853
|
2048 |
La Hache |
Sicilienne in C major |
1853
|
2279 |
Phelps |
The Bamboula Polka |
1853
|
2393 |
Wels |
The Sigh, Op.21 |
1853
|
2436 |
Grobe |
Massa's in the Cold Ground with Variations, Op.367 |
1853
|
2561 |
Wels |
Grand Triumphal March, Op.14 |
1853
|
2578 |
Wels |
Omar Pasha's March, Op.22 |
1853
|
2599 |
Gottschalk |
L'Etincelle, Op.20 |
1854
|
2624 |
Wels |
Trill Schottisch, Op.17 |
1854
|
2662 |
Phelps |
Come in Beautiful Dreams |
1854
|
2664 |
Foster |
Ellen Bayne |
1854
|
2796 |
Foster |
Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair |
1854
|
2809 |
Wels |
Le tremolo, Op.23 |
1854
|
2924 |
Kleber |
The Gazelle Schottisch |
1854
|
3342 |
Herz |
Variations Brillantes on 'The Last Rose of Summer', Op.159 (arr. for piano 4-hand) |
1855
|
3392 |
Schulhoff |
3 Impromptus, Op.8 (No.1) |
1855
|
3476 |
Dressler |
The Copyright Schottisch, Op.63 |
1855
|
3623 |
Wels |
Joie du cœur mazurka, Op.29 |
1855(?)
|
3666 |
Bellak |
Scenes from Martha, Op.501 |
1856(?)
|
3674 |
Bellak |
Kleber's Rainbow Schottisch, Op.546 |
1856
|
3848 |
Mason |
3 Valses de Salon, Op.7 (No.1) |
1856
|
3851-52 |
Mason |
3 Valses de Salon, Op.7 (Nos.2 and 3) |
1856
|
3913 |
Bellak |
Crown Diamonds |
1856
|
4035 |
Mason |
3 Preludes, Op.8 |
1856
|
4056 |
Berg |
Reminiscences of the North Star, Op.25 |
1856
|
4082 |
Satter |
Méditation religieuse, Op.6 |
1857
|
4206 |
Wels |
Le Bonheur, Op.35 |
1857
|
4213 |
Mason |
Lullaby, Op.10 |
1857
|
4280 |
Wels |
Transcription et variation sur 'Di provenza il mar', Op.45 |
1857
|
4380 |
Goldbeck |
La Blonde, Op.43 |
1857
|
4939 |
Gottschalk |
Columbia, Op.34 |
1860
|
4984 |
Grobe |
Dixie's Land, Op.1250 |
1860
|
5077 |
Warren |
Christ the Lord is Risen Today |
1860
|
5282 |
Foster |
That's What's the Matter |
1862
|
5924 |
Bishop |
I'll Never Forget Thee, Dear Mary |
1866
|
Catalogs
Sources Consulted
- "Firth, Pond & Co." Wikipedia.
- "Firth Pond and Co." - New York Makers" McGee Flutes.
- Groce, Nancy. Musical Instrument Makers of New York (Pendragon Press, 1991). Google Preview.
Authority control
- VIAF (Firth, Pond & Co.)
- VIAF (Firth, Hall & Pond)
- VIAF (Firth & Hall)
Links
Category:Scores published by Firth