Books & Manuscripts

There are several hundred books & manuscripts on this website. A few are listed below. See the links to the left for many more items and download links.

1661. Supplement of Reserved Songs From Merry Drollery 1661. was issued privately by the editor, J. Woodfall Ebsworth, in 1876 to be inserted between pages 256-257, comprising expurgated and omitted songs referred to, p. 243, as "The Chamber of Horrors." Ebsworth also reprinted in the same way, but without "Supplements," Merry Drollery Compleat (1661-91: reprint 1875), and Westminster Drollery (1671-72), q.v.

ca. 1731. The Merry-Thought, or The Glass-Window and Bog-House Miscellany. Part 1. 3rd Edition. London. 12mo. By "Hurlo-Thrumbo." Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Usually known as The Bog-House Miscellany, this is the original graffiti collection , including verse and drawings taken, as the title states, from diamond scratchings on tavern glass windows and writings on the walls of privies or "bog-houses."

1768. Gentleman's Bottle Companion. An important early collection of drinking songs with many bawdy parodies.

1799. Merry Muses of Caledonia. This OCR is from the Legman type-facsimile 1964 with corrections and editions from G. Ross Roy's facsimile edition. Note that Legman's important editorial material has been left out of the OCRed version. Just buy Legman's if you want to know what he says.

ca. 1812. The Festival of Love, or A Collection of Cytherean Poems. 1770. "Procured and selected by G----e Ρ----e [i.e., Prince George]." London: M. Smith. xi, 443 pp., 12mo. (Copies: PC. 710: 6th edition; Jack Horntip & Cambridge University Library Arcana: 4th edition). This PDF version is from the 4th edition.

ca. 1864. Rakish Rhymer (The), or Fancy Man's Own Songster and Reciter (1917 reprint). (Cupid's Own Library, No. 10.) No copy known. Reprinted, "Lutetia" [Paris: Charles Carrington]: Privately Printed for Members of the Sport's Club, in the Year of the World-War, 1917. (3), 163 pp., 12mo. (Copies: Brown University Library, Harris Collection; Kisney Institute Library; Dr. Cliff Scheiner [Brooklyn, NY]) Erotic songs and parodies mostly derived from the early English music hall era (1820-1850). Contains an early example of "Bullocky Bill the Sailor".

1879-1880. The Pearl: A Journal of Facetiæ, Voluptuous Reading. 1879-80. "Oxford: Printed at the University Press" [London: Edited and published by W. LAZENBY]. 3 vols., 8vo, in 18 monthly parts. Pornographic magazine, including serial novelettes, bawdy verse, limericks, and various obscœna. This OCRed version is from the Grove Press issue without the Supplements or "Christmas numbers". If you have any of these Supplements, please email me at . Thanks!

1883-97. Broadside Manuscript Ledger-book. This ledger-book from upstate NY near the Erie Canal has bawdy broadsides and manuscript entries of broadsides. This is going to be deposited at the New York Historical Association Library.

1892. Records of the Beggar's Benison This OCRed version of the 1892 Records was done using the 1980 facsimile reissue published by Harris Publishing. Sorry I seem to have misplaced the original OCR and will not be issuing a corrected version.

1897. FARMER, John Stephen. 1897. Merry Songs and Ballads, prior to the year A.D. 1800. National Ballad and Song. Privately Printed for Subscribers Only. London: Gibbings? 5 vols., sq.4to. Also see Farmer's non-bawdy Musa Pedestris which was issued in the same 4to format & publishers binding.

1905-1907. Bawdy Manuscript Collection from N.Y. State. 61pg. typescript. Gives an important early view of doggerel verse, songs and humor.

1907-16. Bawdy Ledger/Diary. A manuscript diary ledger book with doggerel verse including John Harroldson.

1917-32. Gordon "Inferno" Collection. The 'Inferno' collection consists of original correspondence and typescript copies of letters (~200 pages) that either Gordon or someone else separated out -- because of their bawdy and scatological subject matter -- from the materials he received and compiled as first head of the folklife department at the Library of Congress. Prefaced to the 'Inferno' collection is a 14 page index which lists informant, date, location and title of the texts.

1925. Facetia Americana The booklet has "1601" by Twain and Eugene Field's "The French Crisis".

1925-26. The Hubert Canfield Collection. An important early and extensive manuscript collection of bawdy songs and verse. This contains letters from Robert W. Gordon future head of the Library of Congress Folksong Archive. This is comparable if not larger than Gordon's Inferno Collection above.

1927. Anecdota Americana: Being, explicitly, an anthology of tales in the vernacular. 1927-28. Elucidatory Preface by J. Mortimer Hall [pseud.]. Anecdotes collected and taken down by Mr. William Passemon ["Mr., Will You Pass 'em On?", pseud.: Joseph Fliesler]. "Boston: For the Association for the Asphyxiation of Hypocrites" [New York: Printed by Guy D'Isère (Gabors) for David Moss, Gotham Book Mart]. xxv, 202 pp., 8vo.

The text opens with large phallophoric letter A. Mostly jokes, with scattered verse. Two piratical reprints: [1928? New York: Samuel Roth] with small letter A at head of text and an extra poem added on last page; and a further piracy of this [c. 1932 New York: Millers?] with broad page margins at inner edge.

My online text was derived from the 1st edition and preserves the phallophoric letter A. I have also added the extra poem and a view of the redesigned first page of jokes from the first pirated edition by Samuel Roth.

1927. Immortalia. Various editions. The text was OCRed from the 1st pirated "Lovian Book" edition and then corrected by reference to 1st edition.

1928. The Book of a Thousand Laughs. By "O. U. Schweinickle" [pseud. Wheeling, W. Va.]. Obscœna and verse, some in Pennsylvania-Dutch, including "Frau Wirtin" stanzas.

ca. 1928. A Collection of Sea Songs and Ditties from the Stores of Dave E. Jones Legman (1990) says: "The editing of this collection of bawdy sea songs has been attributed to Frank Shay. "

1932-72. Kenneth Larson Collection. An important bawdy song collection started in 1932 with various redactions. The final one deposited at the Library of Congress Folksong Archive in 1972. James Kenneth Larson died a childless widower in 1995(?).

1934. Anecdota Americana: An Anthology of Tales in the Vernacular. Edited without expurgation by J. Mortimer Hall [pseud.] Second Series: 500 more. With 37 illustrations. "Boston: Humphrey Adams" [New York: Vincent Smith]. 224 pp., 8vo. Not compiled by Joseph Fliesler, editor of the First Series. Reprint as: The Unexpurgated Anecdota Americana. 1968, North Hollywood, Calif.: Brandon House. 208 pp., 16mo, offset, but omitting the erotic illustrations, in the rough style of Alexander King. Bibliographic note: My text is derived from the first edition. I have retained the erotic illustrations.

ca. 1934. The "Wrecks": An Anthology of Ribald Verse'. Collected at Reno. Privately Printed for Subscribers Only. [Reno, Nevada]. (3), 192 pp., 4to, bound in red plush, black plush or blue (cloth?). (Copies: University of Nevada, Reno; G. Legman.(black plush), Jack Horntip (red plush)). Largely derived from Immortalia.

ca. 1943. Unexpurgated. This underground published booklet contains unexpurgated limericks, doggerel and songs. Of note this is the first time the song I Wish I Was A Fascinating Bitch is published.

ca. 1943.

Collection of WWII ephemera.
Second collection of WWII ephemera.

1947. Henderson, Hamish. Ballads of World War II. Collected by Seamus Mór Maceanruig (Hamish Henderson). Issued by The Lili Marleen Club of Glasgow, to Members Only. The first unexpurgated collection of soldiers' songs, including Henderson's additions to King Faruk.mp3 (650KB) which became a favorite of the British troops in North Africa.

March 1945. Songs of the Century. This mimeographed song book is by the 100th Bomber Group and was issued in March 1945. I have typed it out because the mimeograph did not allow for OCR. Of note are the various WWII and Air Force songs along with early examples of "I Wish I Was a Fascinating Lady".

1945(?). Apples of Eden. An important early mimeographed(?) collection of doggerel verse and other items.

1945-47. 6pg Typescript letters. This 6pg typescript was found among letters to home from someone serving in the Navy. Some of these letters were typed on Naval letterhead in San Francisco.

1948. [MORSE, A. Reynolds]. Folk Poems and Ballads: An Anthology . . . A Collection of rare Verses and amusing Folk Songs compiled from scarce and suppressed Books as well as from verbal Sources, which modern Prudery, false Social Customs and Intolerance have separated from the public and historical Record. With Commentary, Notes, and Sources. "Mexico City: The Cruciform Press, 1945" [Cleveland, Ohio: A. R. Morse], vi, 128 pp., 8vo. Texts are mostly derived from Immortalia but some are also conflated and rewritten in part by the editor. Companion-volume: The Limerick: A Facet of Our Culture, "1944" [1948]. Both volumes were suppressed on publication by police action, and are uncommon.

ca. 1949. Bedroom Party Literature. c. 1947. Privately Printed. Limited Edition. United States. 70 pp., 8vo. Erotic miscellany in prose and verse; pp. 53-60 blank, for pasting-in additions, followed by "How to Love, or The Art of Intercourse, " signed "Douglas MacDougall, M.D."

ca. 1962. Dirty Jokes. Erotica Biblion Society of London and New York. Undated 32pg unpaginated stapled wraps booklet with dirty jokes, limericks and songs.

ca.1962(?). Shitty Songs of Sigma Chi. This plastic spiral bound songbook may have been issued in Northern California because it mentions Westwood High which is located there. If you have more information about this songbook, please email me at . Thanks Guy Logdson for sending me a copy of Shitty Songs of Sigma Chi.

ca.1972. The National Engineering Book of Song and Verse. (PDF Version 1MB). No author, undated, no publisher, no place of publication. Printed stapled wraps. 80pgs with only 64pgs of songs & doggerel. This was received from a civil engineer who said that it was probably given to him at the University of Montreal so that he could participate in the "smokers" that where happening on campus in the late '60's & early '70's.

1976. Father Rugby Reveals...[RUGGER HUGGER presents...]. This is an important early American rugby songbook. Quite rare.

1994-. Hash Hymnals. This is a collection of Paul "Flying Booger" Woodford