- Armand Blackmar
-
Armand Blackmar (1826-1888) was, with his brother Henry, the founder of a music publishing company in 1860, originally based out of New Orleans, Louisiana, and later Augusta, Georgia. This would become the most successful such company of the American Civil War,[1][2] issuing about half the songs released during that era.[3]
Armand and Henry were music teachers before entering the publishing business. When Northern troops took over the city of New Orleans, Henry Blackmar moved the business to Augusta, while Armand - due to his Northern accent - managed to continue working out of New Orleans for a time, but a Union raid on his business forced him to cease working. He continued to live in Louisiana and published songs of his own, under a pseudonym, through his brother.[3]
Armand's published work included the "Dixie War Song", "Southern Marseillaise" and the "Beauregard Manassas".[4]
Henry Blackmar continued to operate the company out of Augusta, extending his distribution chain throughout the South. Songwriter John Hill Hewitt took over the business after Henry was sent to jail for beating his wife.[3]
In 1881 and 1882, Blackmar analyzed Blackmar's Gambit, a chess opening, and published his work in the July 1882 issue of Brentano’s Chess.[4]
References
- Abel, E. (2000). Singing the New Nation: How Music Shaped the Confederacy, 1861-1865. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811702286.
- Cornelius, Steven (2004). Music of the Civil War Era. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0313320810.
- Sanjek, Russel (1988). American Popular Music and Its Business: The First Four Hundred Years. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195043103.
Notes
Categories:- American music publishers (people)
- People from New Orleans, Louisiana
- 1826 births
- 1888 deaths
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