When movies were in their infancy, the biggest and most extreme storylines weren't in tentpole summer films, but in other media. Like books — but also, music sheets. Sheet music of 100 years ago featured alien messages, posthuman visitors and more. Check out the most fantastical sheet music covers of all time!
I've heard from the Man in the Moon, composed by D. L. White, 1893
In this age of vast inventions 't would be no great surprise
If some Jaybilt or Vandergould should railroad thro' the skies
Say, start from Earth in the morning and get to Mars by noon,
And not forget in passing to look in on the moon.He says that we must "hustle" or else the men in Mars
Will issue stock to build the road and sell in other stars.
There is no time for fooling, so "hurry up" he says,
"Or they'll have cars a' running along the Milky Ways".I've heard from the man in the moon
By lunar telephone
I plainly heard his ev'ry word,
The wires gave ev'ry tone
As no one lies who lives in skies
With truth he is in tuneI've heard from the man in the moon
And he's no lunatic
He knows his biz upon his phis
No flies are apt to stick.As we do here they sell their beer
At drugstore and saloon
And coppers gay, the side door play
I heard from the man in the moon.
(via Library of Congress)
Dawn of the Century, by E. T. Paull, c. 1900
A signal from Mars, by Raymond Taylor, 1901, New York
Come take a trip in my air ship, by George Evans and Ren. Shields, c. 1904
Come, take a trip in my airship
Come, take a sail 'mong the stars
Come, have a ride around Venus
Come, have a spin around Mars
No one to watch while we're kissing
No one to see while we spoon.
Come, take a trip in my airship
And we'll visit the man in the moon.
(via MIT Libraries)
The Gingerbread Man, 1906
(via The Oz Enthusiast)
The Wireless Man, composed by Harry de Costa, 1909
The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, music by Louis F. Gottschalk, 1913 (?)
(via Wikimedia Commons)
There's a Wireless Station down in my heart, composed by James V. Monaco, 1913
A Hundred Years from now, by Brennan Caddigan, c. 1914
I wonder what kind of a life they'll lead
A hundred years from now?
I wonder what's going to be the speed
A hundred years from now
[…]
I wonder if they'll have a tango dance
A hundred years from now
I wonder if men will wear short pants
A hundred years from now,
There's no solution it's all evolution
I wonder, and wonder, and wonder
How much the girls are going to wear
A hundred years from now.
(via MIT Libraries)
The Ogo-Pogo, The Funny Fox-Trot, by Cumberland Clark and Mark Strong, 1924
(via Wikimedia Commons)
Dawn of To-Morrow, composed by Joe Green, 1927
(via University of South Carolina Music Library)
You are the melody, a sheet music from Just Imagine (1930), the legendary early talkie
(via Devlin Thompson)
The Strange Little Girl, by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, 1951
Sheet music of the title song of The Blob, composed by Burt F. Bacharach, 1958
(via 45cat)
Space Age Santa Claus, by Ross Christman, 1961
Oh, Santa Claus has a rocket sleigh
Getting ready to zoom away
On his first trip into space
In his pressurized suit with the fur along the border
And a long white bearded helmet made just to order
He'll take the Christmas spirit every place
(via My Vintage Generation and Shadowplaynyc)
onlinecollegedegreee.blogspot.com Vintage Music Covers Were the Tentpole Movie Posters of 100 Years Ago