Content: Cover design includes caricature of an African American man playing a guitar while 5 African American couples are in the background marching or doing a cakewalk.
Content: Includes 20 measure for piano only prior to vocal part.
Content: Descriptive subtitle and explanation on cover: A characteristic march which can be used effectively as a two-step, polka or cake-walk.
Content: Summary: Using stereotyped language and imagery, the narrator describes Rufus Blossom, an African American man who is known to be an excellent guitar player; he walks miles to play at parties, enabling them to have a festive time.
Statement Of Responsibility: by Kerry Mills.

Physical Description

Extent: 6 p. ; 35 cm.

Languages

English

Identifiers

NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b10826013
NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b21736880
NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b21738653
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): d4578080-c595-012f-7d4f-58d385a7bc34

Rights

The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Type Of Resource

Notated Music

Date Issued

1899

Cite this item

MLA format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. "Whistling Rufus, or, The one man band" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1899. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d4578080-c595-012f-7d4f-58d385a7bc34

APA format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. (1899). Whistling Rufus, or, The one man band Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d4578080-c595-012f-7d4f-58d385a7bc34

Chicago/Turabian Format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. "Whistling Rufus, or, The one man band" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d4578080-c595-012f-7d4f-58d385a7bc34

Wikipedia citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d4578080-c595-012f-7d4f-58d385a7bc34 | title= (notated music) Whistling Rufus, or, The one man band (1899) | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=November 14, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>