Comments on: A Brief-ish History of Tin Pan Alley http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/ News, Views and Reports from New York City's Preservation Community Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:22:41 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ms Robyn Rogers-Fox http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-771 Ms Robyn Rogers-Fox Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:37:08 +0000 http://hdc.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-771 26.3.2009 My Great-Grandfather, Ed. Rogers, left Australia in 1890 to make his fortune in America. He left behind his wife, Annie, and two sons - Edwin Rogers Jnr. aged 2 (my Grandfather) and Percy C. Rogers, newborn, my mother's uncle. In 1909 my Great-Grandfather sent his business card for "Pansy the Moon Am Shining" "Ed. Rogers’ Latest Hit" to my Grandfather, who wrote on its face "my father" in nib pen & ink. My Grandfather, known as "Soldier" Rogers, an Australian Golden Gloves Champion, was killed in the Ring in the 15th Round on September 23, 1910. That business card and the reference to the song is the only way I could locate my Great-Grandfather. I found the entire song name on the internet in 2003. I contacted the Band using the music as a Ted Snyder Medley, and advised that Ed. Rogers (Edwin Rogers, by the way) had written the song and explained my family history. The Band Librarian advised me to search "Ed. Rogers" Sheet Music Collection and see how many songs I could find. I found over a dozen at that time. One had a charcoal sketch of Ed. Rogers on the front, which was named as another singer. It was my mother's face and smile lit from within; her fingers holding a matchbox half open, the likeness was astounding. It had to be Great-Grandpa. There was a gold ring on his finger, the gold circling around the large diamond and looping back down to the ring band. After searching numerous geneological sites, I searched for “Percy Rogers of Massachusetts” and found Ed. Rogers Hunt of Florida. I sent him information of Uncle Percy's life and his father's information. Ed. Rogers Hunt wrote back, "I am Ed. Rogers' grandson." I wrote to him, "And I am Ed. Rogers' great-grand-daughter." He was stultified! Great-Grandpa had kept the Australian family a secret from his daughter, Anna Dorothy, later Anna Dorothy Hunt. Uncle Percy had searched out his father in New York when Soldier Rogers was killed in the Ring. He lived with Ed. Rogers, his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, Anna Dorothy. Anna was 7 years younger than Percy, who was newborn when his father deserted his family for New York. Annie Rogers died aged 37, after raising her boys to 16 and 14 respectively. Uncle Percy lived with his father and stepmother for some years; went with the American Infantry Forces and in the Somme for 3 years in WWI. He served as a Cook and returned to New York, then Boston as a Chef, which career he enjoyed until he died in the mid 1960s. He is buried in a Jamaica Plain war grave. I have photos of Ed. Rogers, sent to me by Ed. Rogers Hunt. Great-Grandpa is wearing the diamond ring from the sketch that I recognised in 2003. It took 113 years, but I found him! In Australia we have 2 well known composer/lyricists who made their names in America: Peter Allen in the 1960s & 1970s; and Percy Grainger in the 1920s. We can now look earlier than that. My Great-Grandfather, Edwin - Ed. Rogers - Composer, Lyricist, Pianist, Singer and Dancer, has: Sheet Music; Edison wax, silver & gold cylinders; and 6" (recorded 1 side only) records in The Library of Congress, University and Municipal Libraries in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, having published his music through English publishing houses. Ed. Rogers was the First Australian Composer/Lyricist in the United States! I have signed the Save Tin Pan Alley online petition. My son, a talented web designer, is flying into New York on 29 March, from London, where he has lived for the last 11 years. He doesn't know a soul there. But he is going to visit and photograph 53 W 28th Street, because his family bloodline is in New York, his Great-Grandfather is buried there in: Greenfield Cemetery Uniondale Nassau County New York, USA Plot: Section: 46 Lot:117 Grave No. 4 See my mini-biography and photos on: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Rogers&GSfn=Ed.&GSby=1865&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSst=36&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=11887370& Should you require photographs for your records, I would be happy to send you family and posed photographs of Ed. Rogers. Keep up the good work with all your research and preservation efforts on behalf of Tin Pan Alley. Kind regards, Robyn Rogers-Fox 26.3.2009
My Great-Grandfather, Ed. Rogers, left Australia in 1890 to make his fortune in America. He left behind his wife, Annie, and two sons – Edwin Rogers Jnr. aged 2 (my Grandfather) and Percy C. Rogers, newborn, my mother’s uncle.
In 1909 my Great-Grandfather sent his business card for “Pansy the Moon Am Shining” “Ed. Rogers’ Latest Hit” to my Grandfather, who wrote on its face “my father” in nib pen & ink. My Grandfather, known as “Soldier” Rogers, an Australian Golden Gloves Champion, was killed in the Ring in the 15th Round on September 23, 1910. That business card and the reference to the song is the only way I could locate my Great-Grandfather.
I found the entire song name on the internet in 2003. I contacted the Band using the music as a Ted Snyder Medley, and advised that Ed. Rogers (Edwin Rogers, by the way) had written the song and explained my family history. The Band Librarian advised me to search “Ed. Rogers” Sheet Music Collection and see how many songs I could find. I found over a dozen at that time. One had a charcoal sketch of Ed. Rogers on the front, which was named as another singer. It was my mother’s face and smile lit from within; her fingers holding a matchbox half open, the likeness was astounding. It had to be Great-Grandpa. There was a gold ring on his finger, the gold circling around the large diamond and looping back down to the ring band.
After searching numerous geneological sites, I searched for “Percy Rogers of Massachusetts” and found Ed. Rogers Hunt of Florida. I sent him information of Uncle Percy’s life and his father’s information. Ed. Rogers Hunt wrote back, “I am Ed. Rogers’ grandson.” I wrote to him, “And I am Ed. Rogers’ great-grand-daughter.” He was stultified! Great-Grandpa had kept the Australian family a secret from his daughter, Anna Dorothy, later Anna Dorothy Hunt. Uncle Percy had searched out his father in New York when Soldier Rogers was killed in the Ring. He lived with Ed. Rogers, his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, Anna Dorothy. Anna was 7 years younger than Percy, who was newborn when his father deserted his family for New York. Annie Rogers died aged 37, after raising her boys to 16 and 14 respectively. Uncle Percy lived with his father and stepmother for some years; went with the American Infantry Forces and in the Somme for 3 years in WWI. He served as a Cook and returned to New York, then Boston as a Chef, which career he enjoyed until he died in the mid 1960s. He is buried in a Jamaica Plain war grave.
I have photos of Ed. Rogers, sent to me by Ed. Rogers Hunt. Great-Grandpa is wearing the diamond ring from the sketch that I recognised in 2003. It took 113 years, but I found him! In Australia we have 2 well known composer/lyricists who made their names in America: Peter Allen in the 1960s & 1970s; and Percy Grainger in the 1920s. We can now look earlier than that. My Great-Grandfather, Edwin – Ed. Rogers – Composer, Lyricist, Pianist, Singer and Dancer, has: Sheet Music; Edison wax, silver & gold cylinders; and 6″ (recorded 1 side only) records in The Library of Congress, University and Municipal Libraries in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, having published his music through English publishing houses. Ed. Rogers was the First Australian Composer/Lyricist in the United States!

I have signed the Save Tin Pan Alley online petition. My son, a talented web designer, is flying into New York on 29 March, from London, where he has lived for the last 11 years. He doesn’t know a soul there. But he is going to visit and photograph 53 W 28th Street, because his family bloodline is in New York, his Great-Grandfather is buried there in:

Greenfield Cemetery
Uniondale
Nassau County
New York, USA
Plot: Section: 46 Lot:117 Grave No. 4

See my mini-biography and photos on: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Rogers&GSfn=Ed.&GSby=1865&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSst=36&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=11887370&

Should you require photographs for your records, I would be happy to send you family and posed photographs of Ed. Rogers.

Keep up the good work with all your research and preservation efforts on behalf of Tin Pan Alley.

Kind regards,
Robyn Rogers-Fox

]]> By: Historic Districts Council Newsstand » Blog Archive » Interest in Tin Pan Alley Soars, Buildings’ Fate Is Still Uncertain http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Historic Districts Council Newsstand » Blog Archive » Interest in Tin Pan Alley Soars, Buildings’ Fate Is Still Uncertain Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:05:27 +0000 http://hdc.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-264 [...] in Greenwich Village was named after (but not “Great Jones Street”)? Visit http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/ for more information and get involved and help us save Tin Pan Alley by signing the petition: [...] [...] in Greenwich Village was named after (but not “Great Jones Street”)? Visit http://hdc.org/blog/2008/11/14/a-brief-ish-history-of-tin-pan-alley/ for more information and get involved and help us save Tin Pan Alley by signing the petition: [...]

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