John Ashton was an American merchant and music publisher in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century.[1][2] He owned a "music & umbrella store" at no.197 Washington Street which sold "all the new and fashionable music"[3] ca.1819-1844.[4][5] He manufactured and sold musical instruments; tuned pianos; and published and sold sheet music "of marches, waltzes, rondos, variations, quadrilles, gallopades, dances, &c. ... arranged for the band, orchestra, piano forte, guitar, flute, violin, organ &c."[3] Among the composers represented in Ashton's stock: Comer, Joseph Haydn, Knight, Paddon, Russell, Shaw, Webb, Charles Zeuner.[3][6][7] The firm "John Ashton & Co." was dissolved on January 1, 1844 with notice that the business will "be continued at the old stand, 197 Washington Street, by E.H. Wade."[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Boston Directory. 1823, 1832
- ^ Arlan R. Coolidge. "Francis Henry Brown, 1818-1891, American Teacher and Composer." Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring, 1961)
- ^ a b c American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series 1
- ^ "Musical instruments, umbrellas, parasols, canes, &c. John Ashton, jun." Boston Intelligencer, Jan. 23, 1819
- ^ John Ashton, jun. "Umbrellas. Large and small size silk umbrellas; gingham, oiled cloth and cotton. ... no.20 Marlboro-street, a few door south of the meeting-house." Columbian Centinel, Nov. 10, 1821
- ^ In 1825 Ashton took "Mr. G. Graupner's stock of music." Boston Commercial Gazette, Nov. 22, 1825
- ^ Examples of titles published and sold by Ashton reside in the collections of the Boston Athenaeum, Bostonian Society, and Historic New England.
- ^ "The business will be continued at the old stand, 197 Washington Street, by E.H. Wade." Daily Atlas (Boston), Jan. 26, 1844
Images
[edit]-
Advertisement for John Ashton, "importer & manufacturer of musical instruments," ca.1824 (New York Public Library) -
!["On Mortality, Think & Smoke Tobacco. ... With an accompaniment for the piano forte by Joseph Gear, of the Tremont Orchestra, Boston. Respectfully dedicated to Charles Sprague, Esq. Boston, John Ashton, 1836." [1]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/1836_Smoke_Gear_Ashton_Boston.png/78px-1836_Smoke_Gear_Ashton_Boston.png)
"On Mortality, Think & Smoke Tobacco. ... With an accompaniment for the piano forte by Joseph Gear, of the Tremont Orchestra, Boston. Respectfully dedicated to Charles Sprague, Esq. Boston, John Ashton, 1836." [1] -
"March of the First Volunteer Regiment of Alabama. Dedicated to Col. Thos. W. McCoy of Mobile. Composed by John Holloway. Boston. Published by John Ashton & Co." (Boston Public Library)
!["On Mortality, Think & Smoke Tobacco. ... With an accompaniment for the piano forte by Joseph Gear, of the Tremont Orchestra, Boston. Respectfully dedicated to Charles Sprague, Esq. Boston, John Ashton, 1836." [1]](/en/File:1836_Smoke_Gear_Ashton_Boston.png)
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Further reading
[edit]- Christine Merrick Ayars (1937), Contributions to the art of music in America by the music industries of Boston, 1640 to 1936, New York: The H.W. Wilson company, OCLC 26107160, OL 6349676M
- Russell Sanjek. American popular music and its business: the first 400 years; Vol.2: from 1790 to 1909. Oxford University Press, 1988
- Field Drums blog. "Pre-Civil War John Ashton Eagle Drum." 2009
Published by Ashton
[edit]Ashton published numerous sheet music titles. For example:
- Nathan Adams. Ruins of Troy. 1826
- John Holloway. Winthrop's quick step. 1835. "As performed by the Boston Band. ... Dedicated to Capt. G.T. Winthrop, the officers and members of the Boston Independent Fusiliers"
- Charles Zeuner. New England Guards quick step. 1835
- George O. Farmer. Gen. Harrison's grand march. 1840. "Dedicated to the Boston & Roxbury Whig Associations"
External links
[edit]
- WorldCat. John Ashton & Co.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Double bass, 1823, instrument made by Abraham Prescott (Deerfield, N.H.), sold by Ashton
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Flute, ca.1830, instrument manufactured/sold by Ashton
- Johns Hopkins University, Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. Mechanicks Quick Step. 1835.
- Field Drums blog. "J. Ashton Eagle Drum." 2008