Correspondence between G. E. Valley Jr. and Dr. Margaret Downie Banks, curator of the Shrine to Music Museum, University of South Dakota, about its fife stamped "E. Baack/N-York" (No. 2867, ca. 1838-1871), with photocopies of the museum's two photographs of it, its bill, and GEV's chronology of Edward Baack's life.

[Notebook p. 145. Typed letter from the Shrine to Music Museum, University of South Dakota, to GEV, pasted in. GEV's notes: "BAACK"; "rec'd 29 Oct 86".] The Shrine to Music Museum and Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments, The University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390 USA

October 24, 1986

George E. Valley, Jr. 607 Main Street Concord, MA 01742

Dear Mr. Valley:

We have in our collections one fife by Edward Baack. A description follows:

No. 2867. Fife in C (high pitch), E. Baack/N-York (stamped between embouchure hole and finger holes), ca. 1838-1871, six finger holes, brass ferrules at each end.

The instrument is on permanent display. We regret that we do not have any photographs of the fife available.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely yours, [signed] Margaret Banks Margaret Downie Banks, Ph.D. Curator MDB;js Enclosures

[GEV's note:] Enclosed were lots of brochures, membership lists etc - The Amer. Music Instr Society might be followed up if present leads get nowhere. This stuff in Baach file.

[Notebook p. 146. Copy of GEV's typed letter to Dr. Margaret Downie Banks, pasted in.] October 29, 1986

Dr. Margaret Downie Banks The Shrine to Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion S.D. 57069-2390

Dear Dr. Banks:

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy day to answer my question about an instrument attributed to Edward Baack (baptized on June 18, 1809, in St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Hamburg Germany, as Heinrich Eduard Baack, son of Martin Hieronymus Baack and Catharina Sophia [Baumann] Baack). I regret that there is no photograph of exhibit No. 2867 that you can send me, since there are those who assert that Mr. Baack concerned himself only with the importation of violins. I badly need a picture of your exhibited fife for that reason.

Can someone with a 35 mm. camera take a picture of the fife through the glass of the exhibit case? I have successfully taken hundreds of such pictures while touring archeological museums in the Mediterranian littoral. I must admit that, in this case, it would help if the name stamped between the embouchure hole and finger holes could also be read in the picture, but I will settle for less.

Can you engage some helpful student to take such a picture for me? I will be glad to pay the student (or pay your own photographer, if that is your wish). If necessary, I will consider loaning a camera for the purpose.

Thank you again for your kindness in helping me in my research.

Sincerely yours, [signed] George Valley George E. Valley, Jr. Professor of Physics, Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Printed on October 29, 1986, FILE VLCMJ1

[Notebook p. 158. Typed letter from the Shrine to Music Museum to GEV, pasted in, with GEV's notes.] The Shrine to Music Museum and Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD

November 19, 1986

George E. Valley, Jr. 607 Main Street Concord, MA 01742

Dear Prof. Valley:

Enclosed please find two photographs of our Baack fife. We hope they will be of use in your research.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York recently acquired a Baack fife, catalog number 1985.337. For further information, you should write to Laurence Libin, Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Division of Musical Instruments, 5th Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028.

We would be very interested to know more about the results of your research!

Sincerely yours, [signed] Margaret Banks Margaret Downie Banks, Ph.D. Curator MDB;js Enclosures

[GEV's notes:] enclosed 2 5"x7" pix showing name & bill for $5.00. Write her sending same poop as in letter to Farrar

[Notebook p. 160. GEV's notes, with photocopies of the Shrine to Music Museum's two photographs of the Baack fife pasted in.] Things to do [crossed out:] 1) Write to Oscar 2) [Date stamps MAY 14 1987:] Bring all correspondence to date; First is to M Downie Banks PhD! [Photocopy of a photograph of the whole fife, captioned:] No. 2867. Fife by Edward Baack, ca. 1838-1871, New York, NY. The Shrine to Music Museum, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA [Photocopy of a close-up of the stamped name.] [GEV:] Name is stamped between embouchure & finger holes

[Notebook p. 161. The Shrine to Music Museum's statement, pasted in. Stamp: "rec'd NOV 24 1986".] STATEMENT. Date: November 19, 1986. Invoice Number: 256. Purchase Order Number: Letter of 10/29/86. Sold to: George E. Valley, Jr., 617 [sic] Main Street, Concord, MA 01742 2 Photos of Baack fife, No. 2867 at $5.00 each (price includes shipping & handling): $10.00 Send Payment to: The University of South Dakota, Att: Dr. André P. Larson, The Shrine to Music Museum, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390 [GEV:] enclosed check with letter to Banks.

[Notebook p. 162. Copy of GEV's typed letter to Dr. Margaret Downie Banks, page 1, pasted in.] GEORGE E. VALLEY, JR. 607 MAIN STREET, CONCORD, MA 01742 617 369 5692

November 25, 1986

Dr. Margaret Downie Banks, Curator The Shrine to Music Museum The University of South Dakota 414 East Clark Street Vermillion S.D. 57069-2390

Dear Dr. Banks:

The pictures of the Baack fife are just what I need, and I thank you for them. A check is enclosed.

I shall inquire of the Metropolitan Museum about their fife. A dealer named Stuart Caplin in New York has a Baack flute for sale for $450.00. I imagine you know who he is, but if you want his address, I'll be glad to oblige. My son, who does clarinet, tells me he would be interested in a Baack clarinet, it any such exist.

Here a short version of the chronology of Edward Baack:

Heinrich Eduard Baack, a/k/a Henry Edward Baack, a/k/a Captain Edward H. Baack, a/k/a Edward Baack

[The chronology that follows, 1809 to 1893, is the same as in GEV's letter to Lloyd Farrar of 31 Oct 1986 (pp. 148-150).]

[Notebook p. 163. Page 2 of the letter to Banks: the rest of the Baack chronology (1838-1893) and the note on citations, as in the letter to Farrar.]

[Notebook p. 164. Page 3 of the letter to Banks.] M.D.Banks 3 G.E.VALLEY

Perhaps you know more about Edward Baack's instruments than some other curators, for instance: Is it known what proportions of his instruments were woodwind, brasswind, or string? One source has it that his principal import business was in strings, notably violins and wind harps from his native Germany.

His business is thought to have failed in New York's 1873 financial panic, probably because of a huge debt incurred when southern plantation owners, who were among his principal customers (as well as many other New York merchants'), reneged on their bills in 1861. Apparently he carried the debt for over a decade until the panic upset his fragile finances, and he lost everything including his house in Fordham.

If you have any other questions about the life of this old Prussian martinet, I will try to answer them, and if you have any information about the types and the reputation of Baack instruments, or of the kinds of people who bought them, please direct me to it.

Thanks again.

Sincerely yours, [signed] George Valley George E. Valley, Jr. Professor of Physics, Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of Technology [handwritten:] VLCMJ7

[Notebook p. 165. Typed letter from Dr. Margaret Downie Banks to GEV, pasted in, with her mailing label. GEV's notes: "See Farrar for the Langwill list & AMIS stuff is with the previous propaganda at page 145"; "This came with more material about the A.M.I.S. plus some about the LANGWILL Index, noted below. This means cooperation with Farrar is necessary. 14 May 87". A further remark of 14 May 87 is left out of this transcription.] The Shrine to Music Museum and Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD

December 18, 1986

George E. Valley, Jr. 607 Main Street Concord, MA 01742

Dear Prof. Valley:

Thank you very much for your letter of November 25 and all the information concerning Edward Baack! Are you planning on eventually producing an article concerning your research? I am sure that the members of the American Musical Instrument Society would be very interested in your findings. We serve as the AMIS membership office and publish both an informal Newsletter and a scholarly Journal--see enclosed literature.

You should also write to AMIS-member, Lloyd Farrar, who is chairing a U.S. committee to provide a liaison with the new editor of the British Langwill Index of Wind Instrument Makers. I know he would be very interested in your research. Write: Lloyd Farrar, AMIS Langwill Committee, 14416 Marine Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904.

With best wishes for the holiday season, I remain,

Sincerely yours, [signed] Margaret Banks Margaret Downie Banks, Ph.D. Curator MDB;js Enclosures