Tutor for the Banjo, Cecil Hicks, Duncombe & Moon (London,1852) - reissue H. White & Son, (London, 1856-58)

Tutor for the Banjo by Cecil Hicks was originally published by Duncombe & Moon, Holborn, London specialists in affordable popular music publishing. Their company imprint can be seen as a footer on page 16 in the detail below. The earliest documented record of this publication is an advertisement placed by Duncombe & Moon in The Morning Advertiser, 19 May 1852. In 1856 Duncombe died and the stock of his company was sold in its' entirety at auction to Henry White, a London publisher. As the new copyright holder White reissued the work between 1856-58 when a copy was deposited at the British Museum, then the repository for all UK publications. The stamp on this copy dated '3 SE 58' is the date of deposition at the British Museum. The H. White & Son reissue was repackaged in a new wrapper with H. White & Son details inserted. The interior pages including the ornate title page are from the original Duncombe & Moon 1852 edition. Stylistically, Duncombe & Moon's original cover would have been in keeping with the design and typography of their title page.

Cecil Hicks (1827-1905) was born in Bow, London and worked as a composer, performer and teacher of music. His Tutor for Banjo relates to finger-style and advocates gCGBD tuning for use in the keys of C major and G major. At the time he wrote this work he was living in Vauxhall, South London on the south bank of the River Thames.