Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, ca. 1790-1895 Content and design by John Bewley

Lithographers Outside Philadelphia: Napoleon Sarony (1821-1896)

Napoleon Sarony was born in Quebec in 1821. He moved to New York around 1836 and studied with Archibald Robinson. He worked for Nathaniel Currier before starting a business with James P. Major in 1843. In 1845 James Major was replaced by Henry B. Major in Sarony & Major. Sarony's next corporate incarnation was known as Sarony, Major & Knapp in which he was joined by Richard Major and Joseph F. Knapp from 1857 to 1867. He withdrew from the firm around 1867 to establish a studio of photography. Sarony late r spent six years in Europe, where he visited lithographers in Berlin and Paris. He eventually returned to New York and set up another photographic studio.

There are approximately ninety items in the collection for which Napoleon Sarony and his firms did the illustrations.

Illustrations by Sarony in the Collection
Item No.	Title	Imprint	Plate No.	Illustration	Image
Box 13 no. 6	The Battles of Sebastopol / composed by Charles W. Glover	New York : W. Hall & Son, between 1853 and 1858	3496	Color: Troops firing a cannon at ships in a harbor / Lith. of Sarony & Co.
Box 13 no. 9	Blue Ridge Quick Step / composed and arranged for the piano forte by Francis Buck, and respectfully dedicated to James A. Cowardin of Richmond Va. by the publisher	Richmond : P. H. Taylor, 1848	None	Troops marching on a mountain road / Sarony & Major Lith.
Box 41 no. 5	Capitol March : Washington : op. 45 / composed by Louis Berge	New York : John J. Daly, 1861	123	Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. / Lith. of Sarony, Major & Knapp
Box 35 no. 16	The Exhibition Quadrille / Labitzky	New York : Firth, Pond & Co., 1851	988	Color: View of "The glass building, erected for the World's Fair" (Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, England) / Lith. of Sarony & Major
Box 14 no. 29	General Sweeny's Grand March / composed and cordially inscribed to Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Sweeny by John J. Daly	New York : John J. Daly, 1863	164	Portrait of Thomas William Sweeny, with scenes of battles at Wilson's Creek, Corinth, and Shiloh / lith. of Sarony, Major & Knapp
Box 36a no. 22	The Hippopotamus Polka / by L. St. Mars	New York : W. Hall & Son, between 1848 and 1858	948	Young woman dancing with a hippopotamus dressed in a suit / lith. of Sarony
Box 36a no. 28	The Mystic Polka : as danced by Mlle. Adeline and Signor Neri at the Broadway Theatre / composed by J. A. Fowler	New York : Samuel C. Jollie, 1852	None	"Professor Anderson performing his great feat of the Crystal Casket" / lith. of Sarony & Major
Box 14 no. 49	Parade March of the 22d. Regt. N.Y.S.M. Union Greys / composed and respectfully inscribed to the officers & members of the 22d Regt. by F. B. Helmsmüller	New York : Firth, Son & Co., 186-	5229	Color: Three members of the 22nd Regiment in a wooded setting / lith. of Sarony, Major & Knapp
Box 36a no. 32	The Polar Bear Polka / composed by Albert W. Berg	New York : Firth, Pond & Co., 1856	4010	Polar bears dancing (or fighting?), with a portrait of Elisha Kane above / lith. of Sarony, Major & Knapp
Box 42 no. 24	Rainbow Schottisch / composed by H. Kleber	New York : Firth, Pond & Co., 1852	1625	Color: Rainbow over wooded lake / lith. of Sarony & Major
Box 36a no. 42	Three Bells Polka / composed and dedicated to Capt. Creighton by T. J. Cook	New York : S. T. Gordon, 1854	None	Color: Rescue of ship San Francisco by ship Three Bells and a portrait of Capt. Creighton / lith. of Sarony & Co.
Box 14 no. 75	U. S. Army Calls : Military Quadrille / composed by Robert Stoepel	New York : Wm. A. Pond & Co., 1862	5266	Color: Winter scene of three uniformed soldiers quarding a camp / lith. of Sarony, Major & Knapp