Before the March King: 19th-Century American Bands
October 10, 2015 – January 3, 2016

Before the popularization of recorded music, concert bands featuring brass instruments toured the United States, at times playing to enormous crowds and attracting the kind of attention now reserved for Top 40 pop stars. George Foreman, director of the University of Georgia’s Performing Arts Center, has collected materials related to these concert bands for years. This exhibition draws from his collection to present items that trace the development and history of the American band from its inception in the 1830s to the turn of the 20th century: paintings, prints, illustrated sheet music, vintage instruments, photographs and more.