Spellman Collection (Music)

The collection consists of around 2500 Victorian sheet music covers, illustrating virtually every aspect of Victorian life and popular culture. Around 150 are complete scores. The collection also documents the development of colour printing by lithography.

The collection was donated to the University Library in 1994 by Mr and Mrs Sidney Spellman of Highgate. 300 items concerned with opera and ballet were presented to the Royal Opera House.

Please be aware that items within the Spellman Collection include offensive terminology and imagery. The handlist below is a record of titles and text printed on the physical items. The terminology used by the people that created the items is part of the story they tell. Descriptions of the items may include offensive terminology in the transcriptions of the titles. 

More information

• Around 800 of the covers have been digitised through JIDI (JISC Image Digitisation Initiative) and are available via the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS).
• Some of the complete scores are fully catalogued and appear on the catalogue.
• A complete handlist of the collection is available.
• A handlist of the Spellman music covers on the VADS website is available.
• Spellman, D. and S. Victorian music covers. London: Evelyn, Adams & Mackay, 1969.

Associated collections

• Baron, Hermann – Music Collection