William Stuckenholz, arranger. The 'Elite' Race Galop. San Francisco: McCurrie, Weber & Co., 1877. Folio, 6 pages. Original illustrated wrappers WITH AFFIXED Portrait of Stuckenholz. Oval vignetted albumen CDV. San Francisco: Bradley & Rulofson. 

This unique photographic portrait captures composer William Stuckenholz in three-quarter view, sporting spectacles and a distinctive long mustache and goatee. The interior score presents the full piano arrangement of "The 'Elite' Race Galop," complete with programmatic performance notations including "Leading the horses to the starting post" and "The start." 

Although his compositions were largely popular, functional pieces of the era rather than enduring classical standards, Stuckenholz remained an influential conductor and arranger who helped shape the musical landscape of late 19th-century American variety theater and comic opera.

19th-century sheet music illustrated with photographs is exceedingly scarce, and this visually charming example is no exception. 

VERY RARE. We located only one other example held in the California Sheet Music Project collection at the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library at the University of California, Berkeley (note: OCLC lists the same holding for 4 different libraries). 

[Bradley and Rulofson, Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco California, Elite Gallery, Sheet Music, W Stuckenholz, McCurrie Weber and Co, Pacific Press Oakland, Albumen Photograph, Horse Racing, Harness Racing, Galop, California Music, Gold Rush California, Western Americana, 19th Century Ephemera]

Very good. The mounted albumen portrait is rich and sharp with clean surfaces. The folio shows light handling, faint scattered foxing spots along the margins, and light pencil numbering at the upper right corners.