Seafaring in Sheet Music

In the 19th century, having a loved one serving on a ship, away from home for months or years, was not uncommon. The danger and uncertainty of life at sea were reflected across art forms of the period. The Library Company’s extensive sheet music collection includes many songs that express the longing, loneliness, and fear experienced both by seafarers and by those they left behind. The illustrations on these musical pieces portray sorrowful farewells, joyful reunions, and the enduring pain of losing a loved one to the deep.