Shortly after Francis Scott Key finished his poem dedicated to the Star-Spangled Banner waving over Fort McHenry following British bombardment in 1814, its lyrics were published as a broadside. Soon, the public was calling for the printed music of the tune, a well known song to which key had expressly written the lyrics. A Baltimore store obliged, and a first edition was rushed out – complete with a typo and some other evidence of its hasty preparation.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has one of the copies of that first edition and has put it on display through August 31 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of American democracy. Library visitors can also listen to a selection of LPs representing American music and recorded sound over the years that were chosen by the library's staff.
A Tempo host chatted with the library's music curator, Kevin Parks, about the exhibit and the song's history.
