The Guitar Music Collection of Justin Holland

My article on Justin Holland’s guitar music collection was published by Soundboard Scholar on July 6, 2024.

Justin Holland article on Soundboard Scholar.

Although much information is available about Holland’s biography and compositions, little research has been done on how he acquired his deep knowledge of the guitar and how he may have interacted with other guitarists of his day.

Some years after Justin Holland’s death in 1887, his son, Justin Minor Holland, claimed to have “one of the most elaborate libraries of guitar music, mostly of old masters.” This collection could give more insight into the activities of guitar music collectors and guitarists in the United States of the 19th century. After much research, seven bound volumes of guitar music have been discovered which can be traced back to Justin Holland. This article puts the contents of these volumes into context and includes facsimiles and engravings of unpublished work by Holland and Zani de Ferranti.

See my other articles on Justin Holland:

• Justin Holland timeline and land records
• Letters from Justin Holland and J. M. Holland to C. F. Martin, 1868-1897
• The Works of Justin Holland and Justin Minor Holland
• Justin Minor Holland “The Guitar” in Brainard’s Musical World 1887-1888