Special Collections Finding Aids

Julia Hill Newell Collection - Printed Music

Accession: SC1998.8

Location: M2A 3,4

Size: .25 feet

Biography: Julia Hill was born in Rochester probably in the year 1837, for the census of 1850 lists her as the daughter of Benjamin Hill, 14 years old. Benjamin was a music teacher who had immigrated to the United States from London by 1832, when the "Rochester Gem" (v.4 p.103, col.2) lists him as on the faculty for the opening of the Rochester Seminary of General Education. Julia proved to be a precocious musician and debuted at the age of eight, on February 27, 1845, accompanying her father' who sang and played the flute (program in the scrapbook). By the late 1840's she was well known locally as a fine pianist. In 1851, her father took Julia on a tour of Europe in order to perform and study. Her scrapbook, retained in this collection, indicates that she was extremely well received, as do local newspaper clippings and other documents in the collection. On their return to the United States, the father's health appears to have been broken. A proposed second tour of Europe was deferred and never took place. There are but few mentions of Julia thereafter. In 1861 her friends supported a benefit recital in her behalf, the purpose of which was to raise funds in order to purchase a piano for her, which she could not otherwise afford. Facts are lacking, but it seems that the father returned to this country in 1852 broken financially and in health and that Julia was forced to devote her energy not to her career but to supporting the family through teaching. A note in the collection states that Julia married Thaddeus Selby Newell, a successful lawyer and financier, on July 22, 1869 and had three children: Albert, Mabel, and Anna. On August 10, 1892 a brief obituary stating simply "Julia, wife of T.S. Newell, died Monday night at 247 University Avenue."

Provenance: All records relating to the acquisition of the collection have disappeared. Items of sheet music dispersed throughout the collection (some of which are gathered here) bear the designation of "gift of Albert S. Newell." This must have been the son of Julia, who died on January 6, 1939 at age 68. This accords with the genealogical document in the collection that states that Julia's son Albert was born on December 29, 1871. It appears that Albert S. Newell donated a collection of sheet music to Sibley Music Library before his death. It seems highly likely that the documents in this collection came to the Library at that time.

Scope and Content: The collection contains documents and clippings compiled for the most part by Julia Hill Newell, mainly during the 1850's and most relating to her European tour. To these materials have been added, as the result of research, a few items of sheet music marked with the stamp of Albert S. Newell and of such a date as possibly to have been owned by Julia herself. Some material relating to research conducted on the collection and its creator has been appended, mostly photocopies from local newspapers of the times.

Associations: The Watanabe Special Collections department maintains a file of ephemera relating to local music history, the earliest of which dates back to the 1850's and so is contemporary with Julia Hill's period of greatest activity.

Restrictions: none

Series: 2

Series Name: Printed Music

Series Description: This series includes a few items bearing the owner marks of Albert S. Newell, which are of such a date and nature as possibly to have been the property of Julia Hill Newell.