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Brief Timeline of American Literature, Music, and Movies

1900-1909

1890 1900 1910 1920

This page provides a limited sample of the music and films available during the period 1910-1919.  The music links here appear courtesy of the sites listed at the bottom of the page; please visit them for more information about the music of this era. Films are listed with their principal star or director.  Music files on this page are in RealAudio unless otherwise noted.

Because they reflect the attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices of their times, some materials of this era may be offensive to listeners.  The perspectives expressed in these films or recordings do not represent the attitudes of  the site author.
To see pictures of wax cylinder phonographs and other early recording equipment, go to http://www.tinfoil.com/gallery.htm

Literature Music  Movies 
1900
  • Zitkala-Sa, Impressions of an Indian Childhood, The School Days of an Indian Girl, and An Indian Teacher among Indians published in the January, February, and March Atlantic Monthly.
  • Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars 
  • Mark Twain, "The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg" 
  • Theodore Roosevelt, The Strenuous Age
  • 5 June. Stephen Crane dies at Badenweiler, Germany
  • Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie 
    		•
  • "My Pretty Peggy" (RealAudio)(RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
  • "The Maple Leaf Rag" (1899; Scott Joplin; MIDI file)
  • "El Capitan March Medley"  (Issler's Orchestra) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
  • "Our Whistling Servant Girl" (John York Atlee)(RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    		•  Why Mrs. Jones Got a Divorce
    1901
    Charles W. Chesnutt, The Marrow of Tradition
    Frank Norris, The Octopus

    "Peacherine Rag" (Scott Joplin; MIDI file)
    "Stars and Stripes Forever March" (John Philip Sousa)(RealAudio file from a  wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)

    		 The Gordon Sisters Boxing 
    1902
  • Ida Tarbell's expose of the oil monopoly, History of the Standard Oil Company, appears in McClure's Magazine. 
  • Upton Sinclair, The Jungle
  • Jack London, The Iron Heel
  • Lincoln Steffens, The Shame of the Cities
  • Henry James, The Wings of the Dove
  • Ellen Glasgow, The Battle-Ground
  • Owen Wister, The Virginian
  • October. Frank Norris dies of appendicitis.
    		•  "Morning, Noon, and Night Overture" (RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
    "Elite Syncopations" (Scott Joplin; MIDI file)
    "The Stars and Stripes Forever" march (Mr. Ruby Brooks on banjo) (RealAudio file from a  wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "Du, Du, Lichs Mir im Herzen" (in Irish dialect)(RealAudio from Robert's Old Schmaltz Archives)    		 Panoramic View of the Golden Gate
    What Happened on Twenty-third Street, New York City ( A woman's skirt is blown up to her knees when she walks over a subway grating)
    1903
    W. E. B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk
    Henry James, The Ambassadors
    Jack London, The Call of the Wild
    Mary Austin, The Land of Little Rain
    Frank Norris, The Pit and The Responsibilities of the Novelist    		 "Please, Mr. Conductor, Don't Put Me Off the Train" (Byron G. Harland) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.) Ameta (the skirt dancer)
    The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter)
    New York City "Ghetto" Fish Market
    1904
    Henry James, The Golden Bowl
    Jack London, The Sea-Wolf
    Death of Kate Chopin    		 Excerpts from "Hot Time March" (Edison Military Band) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" (Columbia Quartette) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "Hickory Bill" (Len Spencer and Fred Van Epps) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "Good-bye, My Lady Love" (Harry MacDonough) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)     		"Kiss Me"
    1905
    William Dean Howells, "Editha"
    Charles W. Chesnutt, The Colonel's Dream
    Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth
    Robert Herrick, The Memoirs of an American Citizen    		 "Everybody Works but Father" (Bob Roberts; comic song) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "My Gal Sal"
    (Criterion Quartet; RealAudio file from a 1920-1923 recording at the Victrola Site.) This excerpt reproduces the chorus of this 1905  song, which was one of the best-known works of Paul Dresser, Theodore Dreiser's older brother and a famous composer of popular songs at the turn of the century. Another is the 1897 "On the Banks of the Wabash."

    "Every Dollar Carries Troubles All Its Own"(RealAudio from Robert's Old Schmaltz Archives)

    "Oh, Promise Me" ( Bohumir Kryl)(RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie"(RealAudio from Robert's Old Schmaltz Archives)

    		 .
    1906
    Death of Paul Laurence Dunbar (b. 1872)
    Jack London, White Fang
    Mark Twain, What is Man?
    Upton Sinclair, The Jungle
    Muckraking articles: Ray Stannard Baker, The Railroads on Trial; David Graham Phillips, The Treason of the Senate.    		 San Francisco Earthquake, April 18, 1906
    1907
    Henry James, The American Scene
    1907-9, New York Edition of James's work
    Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams (privately printed)
    Edith Wharton, The Fruit of the Tree

    "Glow-worm" (Victor Orchestra; recording from 1908-1913; sheet music from 1907) RealAudio from Victrola Music
    "Maxim's" (from The Merry Widow)(RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
    "The Bird on Nellie's Hat" (RealAudio from Robert's Old Schmaltz Archives)
    Gladiolus Rag (Scott Joplin; MIDI file)

    		.
    1908
    Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, The Shoulders of Atlas
    Jack London, The Iron Heel
  • "Unlawful Trusts," William H. Taft, November 1908.  Part of a speech for the 1908 presidential campaign in which Taft ran against William Jennings Bryan. 
  • Lucia Sextette, Act II (RealAudio)(RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
  • "Chi mi Frena" (What Restrains Me)(Donizette)(RealAudio)  (Marcella Sembrich, Enrico Caruso, Antonio Scotti, Marcel Journet, Gina Severina, Francesco Daddi) (RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
  • "Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine" (Ada Jones and Billy Murray) (RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
  • "Ivanhoe --Two Step" (RealAudio) (Arthur Pryor's Band)(RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
  • "Dill Pickles"(RealAudio version)   (Zon-o-phone Orchestra)(RealAudio file from Dismuke's Site.)
  • "Pineapple Rag" (Scott Joplin; MIDI file)

    (New link)
  • "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (Edward Meeker)(RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
  • "Street Piano Medley" (August Molinari; Irish and Italian dialect)(RealAudio file from a wax cylinder recording at Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders.)
    		• .
    1909
    Gertrude Stein, Three Lives "St. Louis Tickle" (RealAudio)  (Vess L. Ossman)
    "Baltimore Todolo" (Eubie Blake; MIDI file)
    "I Love My Wife (But Oh You Kid!)"(RealAudio from Robert's Old Schmaltz Archives)    		 His Duty (Mary Pickford; dir. D. W. Griffith)


    Music Sites:

    Please visit these sites for more information and to express your appreciation for making this music available: Redhotjazz.com http://www.redhotjazz.com
    Cylinders on the Web
    Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine Site.
    Bill Edwards' Ragtime Sheet Music Covers
    The American Variety Stage page at the Library of Congress
    Ragtime MIDI files courtesy of the Primeline MIDI Library.
    The Victrola Shop
    Robert's Old Time Schmaltz
    Piano Ragtime MIDI files by Warren Trachtman

    Note that all links under the music column require either RealPlayer, Quicktime, or some other type of plug-in, such as Windows Media Player.  Much of this software may already be installed on your computer; if not, various plug-ins are available for free at the following sites:

    Quicktime:        http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
    RealPlayer:        http://www.realplayer.com
    Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.asp
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    Except as noted, sheet music covers have been scanned from my collection. If any of the artwork is still under copyright and you are the copyright holder, please contact me and the image will be taken down immediately.Comments to D. Campbell.
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