The Microbe

Over the weekend I contracted some kind of bug. A nasty thing: low-grade fever, coughing up vile green stuff, laryngitis, and less attractive features. Two days later and I'm still getting over it. Anyway, the experience reminded me of a sheet music cover I recently saw. I think my father-in-law has this rag but I'm not sure.

The cover of The Microbe is (appropriately) printed on green paper and features a trio of distinctive bugs out for a stroll. I can't help but notice the racial stereotypes in the artwork. The bug on the far left is dressed as a early twentieth century street cop and has characteristics meant to indicate Irish lineage. The center bug is smoking a big meerschaum pipe and wearing a stylized helmet meant to indicate German-ness. The third in the trio has a long moustache and wears a hat that makes me think the artist meant to depict him as Italian. Beyond the apparent racism of the artwork you also have to consider the implied racism. Science is just beginning to understand the nature of many diseases and the microscopic invaders (microbes) that cause them and here the cover art of The Microbe depicts these germs in the role of another invading hoard: immigrants. Maybe I should feel more sympathetic toward my illness?

The rag itself was penned in 1909 by Webb Long. I could only find three other pieces by this author: The Popular Rag (1912), Imp Rag (1910) and Sing Rock-A-Bye Baby to Me (1913). Beyond that the author seems to disappear. I found nothing about his life, not even birth and death dates. It seems strange that someone could author a piece of music, have it published, sell it in numbers large enough to remain in print a hundred years later yet nothing of the person remains. I hope the same fate awaits my cold.