Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Alice Hawthorne’s song "Out of Work" highlighted a dire issue of the day—unemployment, with the lyrics,
Out of work without a penny, pleading help before thy door
Without friends among the many, look with pity on the poor.
In 1877 more than three million people were out of work. Arranged in a “sentimental ballad,” the song’s lyrics detail extreme poverty and food insecurity from a mother’s viewpoint.
Septimus Winner composed this song using the name Alice Hawthorne—a nod to his ancestor, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Winner wrote over two hundred songs such as "Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?" and "Listen to the Mockingbird" using various pseudonyms. From Pennsylvania, Winner worked as a music instructor and owned a publishing company, Winner & Shuster.
Thomas P.I. Magoun, a Maine press located on Front Street in Bath, published this version of the song.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: "Out of Work" sheet music cover, Bath, 1877
- Creator: Alice Hawthorne
- Creation Date: 1877
- Subject Date: 1877
- Location: Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
- Media: Ink on paper
- Local Code: SM 104
- Collection: Sheet Music
- Object Type: Text and Image
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For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. For more information, please contact the contributing organization. However, watermarked Maine Memory Network images may be used for educational purposes.
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