Music in the Rosenbloom Collection of Hunt Library at Carnegie-Mellon University

Abstract

In 1974 Carnegie-Mellon University acquired a priceless collection of rare books from the estate of Charles J. Rosenbloom, a Pittsburgh philanthropist who had served on the university's board of trustees from 1940 until 1973, the year of his death. He established the C. J. Rosenbloom Fine Arts Fund of some $30,000, served as chairman of the Music Department Visiting Committee, and was a member of the Hunt Library Visiting Committee. He was also a former vice-president of the Pittsburgh Symphony Society and a prominent financial supporter of the symphony. Rosenbloom was the owner of one of the nation's most significant private art print collections; he assembled as well a large collection of invaluable rare books, including many first editions. Over the years he had donated more than 100 volumes to the university, including several first editions and special editions. Among these were original editions of two Beethoven sonatas, Opus 47 (1804) and Opus 96 (1816, see Appendix). Upon his death Rosenbloom willed the remainder of his collection to various institutions, principally to Yale,' where he had graduated in 1920 and where he was an honorary life trustee of the Yale Library Associates, and to Carnegie-Mellon. His bequest to Carnegie-Mellon totaled 300 volumes, nearly all first and special editions. Among the most notable items now housed in the Rare Book Room of the Hunt Library are: the first four folio editions (1623-1685) of Shakespeare's plays; a 1518 copy of the first complete Bible printed and published in Greek; James Boswell's 1791 presentation copy of his Life of Samuel