Thought I would show you a few more of the billheads I recently purchased on ebay.
Here is an example of a billhead that is in manuscript form (not printed) but written out by the proprietor. It is hard to read, but it has the billhead anatomy of the "bought of" and the items purchase. While maybe not as pretty as the printed billheads, still a valuable source of information and pretty penmanship nonetheless. The billhead is for a T. Milne of Edinburgh and dated 1809 for item purchased by Edington.
The next billhead is more decorative. It is for Robert Purdie a musicseller in Edinburgh. Billhead dates from 1835 for David Cockburn Esq who bought a cabinet pianoforte and a harp.
Purdie, Robert. The founder of a very large and important Edinburgh business. In 1804
he was a teacher of music in Jollie's Close in the Cannongate, but in 1805 he had gone to 3, James Street, where he remained until 1808. In 1809 he had opened a music shop at 35, Princes Street, and here commenced publishing sheet music, The number of the premises was changed in 1813 to 71, but in 1816 it was No. 70. It remained thus until 1828 when it was changed again to 83, Princes Street, and was so up to 1837. About this date the business was in the hands of John
Purdie at the same address. Besides the great quantity of sheet music which he published
he issued several important works, of which the chief is a collection of Scottish Songs in large octavo, arranged by R. A. Smith, and the literary contents edited and re-written by Lady Nairne and some other ladies. This work entitled " The Scotish Minstrel " extended to six volumes, the first three of which were reviewed in 1822. The first edition of it may be distinguished by the address 7o, Princes Street, while the second, in which there are some alterations, by that of
83, Princes Street. The third edition also has this, but it is from impressions of the plates worked off upon stone, and lacks the beauty both in the vignette title pages and in the music of the earlier copies. After the first publication of "The Scotish Minstrel," an " Irish Minstrel " was put forth in one volume of the same size and under the same musical editorship. It appeared, however, that Purdie had infringed on the copyright of some of the airs used by Thomas Moore
and the first edition was suppressed. It was again re-issued however with certain of the plates replaced by others. In 1827 another volume of the same size and character was published,
lished, " Select Melodies, with appropriate words, chiefly original, collected and arranged by R. A. Smith," large 8vo. Robert and John Purdie, in conjunction with Alexander Robertson, re-published the Strathspeys and Reels originally issued by the Gow family.
(pp. 191-192British Music Publishers, Printers and Engravers: From Queen Elizabeth's Reign to George the Fourth's, with Select Bibliographical Lists of Musical Works Printed and Published Within that PeriodBy Frank Kidson).
Here is an example of a billhead that is in manuscript form (not printed) but written out by the proprietor. It is hard to read, but it has the billhead anatomy of the "bought of" and the items purchase. While maybe not as pretty as the printed billheads, still a valuable source of information and pretty penmanship nonetheless. The billhead is for a T. Milne of Edinburgh and dated 1809 for item purchased by Edington.
The next billhead is more decorative. It is for Robert Purdie a musicseller in Edinburgh. Billhead dates from 1835 for David Cockburn Esq who bought a cabinet pianoforte and a harp.Purdie, Robert. The founder of a very large and important Edinburgh business. In 1804
he was a teacher of music in Jollie's Close in the Cannongate, but in 1805 he had gone to 3, James Street, where he remained until 1808. In 1809 he had opened a music shop at 35, Princes Street, and here commenced publishing sheet music, The number of the premises was changed in 1813 to 71, but in 1816 it was No. 70. It remained thus until 1828 when it was changed again to 83, Princes Street, and was so up to 1837. About this date the business was in the hands of John
Purdie at the same address. Besides the great quantity of sheet music which he published
he issued several important works, of which the chief is a collection of Scottish Songs in large octavo, arranged by R. A. Smith, and the literary contents edited and re-written by Lady Nairne and some other ladies. This work entitled " The Scotish Minstrel " extended to six volumes, the first three of which were reviewed in 1822. The first edition of it may be distinguished by the address 7o, Princes Street, while the second, in which there are some alterations, by that of
83, Princes Street. The third edition also has this, but it is from impressions of the plates worked off upon stone, and lacks the beauty both in the vignette title pages and in the music of the earlier copies. After the first publication of "The Scotish Minstrel," an " Irish Minstrel " was put forth in one volume of the same size and under the same musical editorship. It appeared, however, that Purdie had infringed on the copyright of some of the airs used by Thomas Moore
and the first edition was suppressed. It was again re-issued however with certain of the plates replaced by others. In 1827 another volume of the same size and character was published,
lished, " Select Melodies, with appropriate words, chiefly original, collected and arranged by R. A. Smith," large 8vo. Robert and John Purdie, in conjunction with Alexander Robertson, re-published the Strathspeys and Reels originally issued by the Gow family.
(pp. 191-192British Music Publishers, Printers and Engravers: From Queen Elizabeth's Reign to George the Fourth's, with Select Bibliographical Lists of Musical Works Printed and Published Within that PeriodBy Frank Kidson).
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