Exhibition Themes > Music > 227. Whittier Perkins' Yankee Doodle
227. Whittier Perkins' Yankee Doodle: A Collection of Dancing Tunes, Marches & Song Tunes, ca. 1778-1788. Manuscript, 36 leaves. RBML
Known as the "Whittier Perkins" manuscript because of the ownership inscription, this volume, in a contemporary leather binding, contains more than two hundred tunes from the American Revolutionary War era, scored for melodic instrument. Many of the melodies are of English origin, but the spirit of the times is reflected in the titles given to the tunes, such as "The Free Born Americans" and "Washinton's [sic] Health." The most famous piece in the collection is "Yankey doodle," which appears here in its earliest known American form. In addition, the manuscript contains such well-known songs as "The 12 days of Christmas" and "Greensleeves."
Gift of Robert Gorham Davis, 1965
