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

Thomas S. Wagner worked for Peter S. Duval until around 1844 when he joined E. J. Pinkerton and James McGuigan in the firm of Pinkerton, Wagner & McGuigan. It was one of the first firms to print in color and won a silver medal for polychromatic lithograph y using five colors at the Franklin Institute's exhibition in 1844 . Pinkerton resigned in 1845 and the firm continued as Wagner & McGuigan. The firm soon had one of the largest operations in the city competing directly with firms run by Peter S. Duval an d Thomas S. Sinclair.

Wagner & McGuigan owned their own building, the Athenian Building, at Franklin Place. The building was severly damaged by a fire in December 1850 but the owners were able to rebuild. Unfortunately, the firm lost everything in a second fire in November 185 7. Once again Wagner and McGuigan rebuilt, but the partnership dissolved soon after. Thomas S. Wagner died in 1863.

Illustrations by Wagner & McGuigan in the Collection

Item No.	Title	Imprint	Plate No.	Illustration	Thumbnail Image
Box 13 no. 23	Jasper Guards' March / composed and dedicated to the officers & members of the Jasper Guards of Charleston, S.C. by a Lady of South Carolina	Charleston : Geo. Oates, 1848	None	Soldier in uniform with a harbor in the background / lith. of Wagner & McGuigan
Box 25 no. 18	Jeannie Gray : a ballad / words by J. M. Church ; music by Charles Mueller	Philadelphia : Edward L. Walker, 1849	None	Color: portrait of a young woman standing in a marsh / J. Queen del. ; Wagner & McGuigan Lith.
Box 29 no. 18	Lovely Nancy, or The Bold Privateer : as sung by Mrs. Barney Williams	Philadelphia : Winner & Shuster, 1853	None	Portrait of woman playing a box organ / Winner Lith. Co. ; Wagner & McGuigan Lith.
Box 36 no. 45	Spring Flower Polka / composed and respectfully dedicated to the Young Ladies of St, Mary's Hall, Burlington, N.J. by Geo. W. Hewitt	Philadelphia : Couenhoven, Scull & Co., 1852	81-4	Color: an angel and a vine of flowers / Wagner & McGuigan's Lith. Steam Press
Box 23 no. 55	Village Polka Quadrilles / composed and arranged for the piano forte and respectfully dedicated to John W. Gaul by Septimus Winner. 2nd ed.	Philadelphia : S. Winner, 1850	None	Color: young man and woman dancing. A village is in the background and a stream is in the foreground / Winner Delk. ; printed by Wagner & McGuigan