howeenterprise.com
Monday, August 17, 2015
Page #9
Learn about antiques and collectibles with Georgia Caraway I'll Be Makin’ Georgia Mine” and “When a Peach from Georgia Weds a Rose from Alabam’”), some expressed longing for their home state (“I Want to Be In Georgia,” “My Dear Old Home in Georgia Far Away” and “When It’s Cherry Blossom Time in Georgia”), some for a sweetheart named Georgia (“I Want You Georgia,” and “You Sweet Georgia Rose”), and others that would not be considered PC today (the “Georgia Giggle,” the I blame my friend, Herbert Holl, for starting “Georgia Rag,” the “Georgia Grind,” and “Dear Old Georgia Mammy”) depicting stereotyped me on one of my largest collections. Ten years ago he gave me my first piece of sheet caricatures of African Americans. Herbert taught me about the different artists, lyricists, composers, music that has the name “Georgia” in the and publishers involved in the world of sheet title. Isn’t that how it happens? You see music. Some music featured historical themes something you like, or someone gives you such as in “Marching Through Georgia” which something they think you will like, and the was printed shortly after the Civil War until the next thing you know, you are merrily mid-1920s with numerous different covers searching for more of that object. Herbert innocently gave me that 1921 piece from his showing William Tecumseh Sherman and his soldiers cutting a swath from Atlanta to Savannah. own burgeoning sheet music collection as a birthday gift. I had it framed and hung it on a It must have been a popular ballad even though it was an unpopular historical event in the south. I wall in my home office. have four different covers of that ballad and have While lecturing in one of my antique classes seen several more for sale that I have not acquired . . . yet. Others were written as lullabies for on collecting ephemera (paper goods), I mothers to sing to their babies (“Georgia Lullaby” showed that piece of sheet music as an and “Georgia Baby”). Most date from the 1870s example. Another friend who attended the next class presented me with a second sheet through the 1930s. called “Georgia On My Mind.” I wondered Of the 112 covers in my collection, none are how many pieces of sheet music had my name in the title. Hmmm . . . . let’s see. . . . repeats. Of course, I subscribe to the idea that if “Rainy Night in Georgia,” “The Devil Went the artwork, the photographs of the singer, or the Down to Georgia,” “Sweet Georgia Brown, publisher are different, then the piece is fair game “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” . for my collection. What do you do with more . . . That set me off on an eBay quest to see than 100 pieces of sheet music if you don’t want to just file them? My solution was to frame each just how many pieces I could find. OMG. piece in a matching black frame and cover a There were more than 100 of them. A collector’s dream. Oh joy, fresh fodder for a bathroom’s walls with them. There was not new collection. And so I bid on a few. And enough room on the walls, so I covered the ceiling too. I can assure you that guests don’t require any won them all. It was fun going to the additional reading materials when they use the mailbox and opening each envelope with a new treasure bearing my name. Some of them facilities. were corny (“Way Down in Macon Georgia
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We have a large collection of sheet music at Howe Mercantile with people’s names on them; and states and countries of the world, too. Come have fun hunting for your or your spouse’s or a friend’s name and favorite places. They make thoughtful presents; and are a great way to acknowledge a “Hallmark” moment. Georgia Caraway, former director of Denton County Museums, and her friends operate Howe Mercantile at 107-109 E. Haning. Store hours are Thursday through Saturday – noon to 8 p.m. She is a member of the Howe Chamber and Keep Howe Beautiful and serves on the Save the Church committee,
