Amusing Duplicates

'Das ist der Bimini...' sheet music cover by Dely
Das ist der Bimini…‘ by Stephan Weiss and Beda. Cover illustrated by Vertès for publisher Wiener Bohème Verlag (Wien, 1925).

Amusing double items, over the years we have grown to cherish these lucky finds. All of the graceful flavours of print and design become apparent: subtle similitudes, minor mistakes, lost details, delicate varieties in shade, colour or contrasts. However sometimes a duplicate is nothing but a gross replication. Take for instance the small Czech songbook, that would like to be an exact copy of the over-the-top incorrect but oh so cute Vertès illustration. A mediocre but bleak reproduction if you ask me.

Das ist der Bimini, song book published in
Das ist der Bimini, Accord-Sammlung für Gesang’, published by Accord in Prague (1925?).

Here is another example of how an ingenious and expressive design of Marcel Vertès is muddled, wasted and ruined. It is obvious that in the French version of the Passion waltz the red and green colour plates have ineptly been aligned…

Passion‘ a boston waltz by Otto Weber (1920). The cover illustrated by Marcel Vertès was published by Drei Masken Verlag in Vienna (on the left) and Smyth in Paris (right).

Have a look at a similar debacle, this one from the workshop of Hawkes in London. What happened, was the red ink too thick or too thin? Shouldn’t the gold have been printed  first? It may be that the red ‘Gold and Silver’ waltz was an ordinary printing press reject. Which we now ironically give the status of ‘collection item’. Anyway what a shame for the beautiful drawing by W. George.

On the left ‘L’Or et l’Argent‘ from Franz Lehar, published by Edouard Salabert (Paris, 1903). Right: ‘Gold and Silver‘, the washout from Hawkes & Son, London, s.d. Illustration by W. George.

Some ‘duplicate’ sheet music are just different. Having both versions in the collection is worthwhile, and brings on a few moments of delight. As does the gliding sound of the great-grandmother of all waltzes ‘Sobre las Olas’ (Uber den Wellen, Sur les vagues, Over the Waves) composed by Mexican Juventino Rosas in 1888.

Sobre las Ollas‘ by Juventino Rosas. Published by Otto June (Leipzig, s.d.). Illustration signed G.B.
Sobre las Ollas‘, waltz composed by by Juventino Rosas. Publisher: Schott Frères (Bruxelles, s.d.). Unknown illustrator.

Time now for a musical intermezzo: float and twirl over the ocean  waves!

All the duplicates above show essentially the same drawing. It is more fun when the same theme is drawn differently, as with this chucklesome waiter.

Im Hotel zur Grünen Wiese‘ by Edvard Brink, illustrated by Otto Dely and published by Wiener Bohème Verlag (Wien, 1922).
A l’Hôtel de la Prairie Verte (Théodor)’ by Edvard Brink, illustrated by Robert Laroche (published by Smyth, Paris, 1922).

A last surprising duplicate which brings joy is The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

The Teddy Bears Picnic‘ by John W. Bratton. Illustrator unknown. Published by Feldman & Co (London, s.d.).

The UK branch of American publisher Witmark resolutely chose  for an extra row of bears.

The Teddy Bears Picnic‘ by John W. Bratton (Witmark & Sons, London, 1907). Unknown illustrator.

German publisher Roehr on the other hand preferred chubby Teddies for its Baby-Bären Parade.

Baby-Bären Parade – The Teddy Bears Picnic‘ by John W. Bratton. Cover of the sheet music published by C. M. Roehr (Berlin, 1907).

Strangely The Teddy Bears’ Picnic, copyrighted in 1907 by American composer John Bratton, was for many years just an instrumental number. Twenty-five years later,  in 1932, Irishmen Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics that beautifully accompany the two-step rhythm:

If you go down to the woods today
You’re sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today
You’d better go in disguise!
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain,
Because today’s the day the
Teddy Bears have their picnic.

Now comes the special moment: a scene from the Eighty’s serial drama The Singing Detective, wherein Michael Gambon plays crooner, detective, and psoriatic patient. Thank you Dennis Potter.


Previous posts on duplicate sheet music covers:

One thought on “Amusing Duplicates”

  1. Dear Madam, dear Sir,

    I would like to get in touch with you to ask you for a reproduction of one of this image.

    Best regards,

    RB

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