Song sheet
Song Sheet
19th century (printed)
19th century (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This song sheet is an example of a 'broadside ballad', a cheaply printed single sheet of paper with song lyrics. These were produced from as early as the 15th century, alternatively providing news, prophecies, histories, moral advice and jokes, often accompanied by woodcut illustrations.
'Broadside' or 'broadsheet' ballads were sold on street corners, town squares and at printers. They were pinned on walls, shared in alehouses, passed on by hand and due to their cheapness, were available to a wide audience. The survival of these sheets provides an invaluable record of Britain’s folk music and ballad history.
'Broadside' or 'broadsheet' ballads were sold on street corners, town squares and at printers. They were pinned on walls, shared in alehouses, passed on by hand and due to their cheapness, were available to a wide audience. The survival of these sheets provides an invaluable record of Britain’s folk music and ballad history.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Song sheet (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed paper, glued on one side |
| Brief description | Song sheet for The Blind Boy and Gallant Poacher, 19th century |
| Physical description | Printed paper song sheet for the ballads The Blind Boy and Gallant Poacher, illustrated with a child tying a wreath around a stag's neck and a floral banner dividing the two different songs. The sheet has been glued on the left side to a backing sheet of lined paper. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Mr and Mrs J. Hill |
| Summary | This song sheet is an example of a 'broadside ballad', a cheaply printed single sheet of paper with song lyrics. These were produced from as early as the 15th century, alternatively providing news, prophecies, histories, moral advice and jokes, often accompanied by woodcut illustrations. 'Broadside' or 'broadsheet' ballads were sold on street corners, town squares and at printers. They were pinned on walls, shared in alehouses, passed on by hand and due to their cheapness, were available to a wide audience. The survival of these sheets provides an invaluable record of Britain’s folk music and ballad history. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.581-2017 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 4, 2017 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
