ROBERT TODD HISTORICAL COLLECTION

This lot features a highly unique grouping of museum quality Canadian history, ephemera and personal documents belonging to Robert Henry Todd in two folios, which chronicle his life, musical talents and passion, and were acquired directly from descendants of the Todd family; included is original sheet music handwritten in pencil, photographs, several music copyrights from the 1920's, letters, receipts, printed sheet music by Todd and other interesting items, approximately 60 pieces total - Robert Todd is perhaps best known for writing an early version of "O Canada" in 1909, which was not adopted officially but was well-known at the time; included is a letter written by Todd while he was stationed overseas during WWI, who overheard soldiers singing his version of "O Canada", and reads: "I listened with joy to their voices ring in the night, for I had the French version of the song also... there was this memorable night at Camp Border, I was an escort sergeant and had just taken recruits from the United States up to the camp. I was thinking of a nice juicy steak smothered with onions that I had for supper, suddenly my memories were shattered by some Canadian soldiers singing O Canada; as the song ended, some French Canadian soldiers started to sing the song in French, then I was very happy, and bursting with pride, for I had written the song in both languages"; the auctioneers have been asked that this important historical archival material not be split up, and sold together