09/08/2026
September is National Classical Music Month. Take a look at this sheet music book, filled with works by classical composers.
In 2014, Calvert descendant Ned Fenwick donated this leather bound book of piano sheet music to the Riversdale Historical Society. It was discovered in a drawer on the piano forte that had originally been at Riversdale (crafted by Charles Pommer of Philadelphia) which has also more recently been donated to RHS.
The book bears the mark of George. E. Blake, a noted music engraver and publisher in Philadelphia, who was active in his profession from 1803 until the 1850s. By 1810, he claimed to have the largest assortment of music in America, and was noted for publishing full scores of the American theater, opera librettos, original American compositions, political songs and minstrel music. The book notes the address of 13 South Fifth Street in Philadelphia, where Blake had a small music store.
To make the discovery of the book even more exciting, it bore the name “C. M. Calvert”, stamped in gold foil on its cover. Did this mean this book was one used by George and Rosalie’s daughter Caroline, to learn to play the piano? Pursuing our research further, we found Caroline’s signature on a title page, and we were able to verify it by matching it with other examples we have of her writing. It seems clear then, that this was indeed Caroline’s piano book.
The book includes works by various composers including: Mozart, Fiocchi, Gelinek, Schmitt, Clementi, and Latour. Just imagine that piano music floating through Riversdale? 🎼
