Sheet Music: It's A Long Way To Berlin But We'll Get There Appraisal

Category: Sheet Music

Sheet Music: It's A Long Way To Berlin But We'll Get There

Description

This item is a piece of vintage sheet music for the song "It's A Long Way To Berlin But We'll Get There." The cover features a sepia-toned photograph of Henry Bergman, the artist who is noted as performing "the big song hit" in the "Passing Show of 1917." The music is credited to Arthur Fields for the words and Leon Flatow for the music. The sheet music was published by Leo. Feist, Inc. in New York. The cover shows considerable wear consistent with its age, including tears, creases, and discoloration along the edges and corners. There are small tears and chipping visible, particularly at the spine and the top right corner. The paper itself appears discolored to a yellowish-brown tone, which is typical of aged paper. Despite the visible condition issues, the central image and text remain legible. The graphics include a decorative scroll-like element to the left of Bergman's image. The overall quality of the printing and the paper indicates typical production for popular sheet music of this period. The age is clearly indicated by the

Appraisal Report

Upon examining the image of the sheet music for "It's A Long Way To Berlin But We'll Get There," I can see it is a genuine piece of vintage sheet music from 1917, as indicated by the reference to "The Passing Show of 1917" and the publisher, Leo. Feist, Inc., a prominent publisher of the era. The sepia-toned photograph of Henry Bergman and the song credits to Fields and Flatow align with publications from this period. The condition is fair to poor. There is significant wear, including visible tears, creasing, discoloration, and chipping, particularly around the edges and spine. The paper exhibits the typical browning associated with aged newsprint or pulp paper of the time. While the cover graphic and text are legible, the damage is considerable. Sheet music from World War I related songs has some collector interest, but widespread popular songs from this era in this condition generally have modest value. Comparable sheet music from similar shows or with comparable level of wear typical sells in the $5-$15 range. The historical context adds some interest, but the severely compromised condition significantly limits its appeal to all but the most casual collectors. No in-person examination, provenance documentation, or scientific testing is required to verify authenticity based on typical printing practices of the era and clear visible indicators of age and wear. The key factors impacting value are the condition (negative) and the historical period/subject matter (positive, but limited).

Appraisal Value

$8-15