Edward Mack
Mack (24 August 1826 – 7 January 1882), also credited as E. Mack, was a German born American composer, pianist, teacher, and piano professional best known for his prolific output of parlor pieces and military marches published chiefly in Philadelphia. His marches and patriotic pieces were widely circulated during and after the American Civil War, and numerous titles by Mack survive in major sheet music collections.
Also recorded as E. Mack
Edward Mack
- Born
- 1826
- Died
- 1882
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- composer
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Edward Mack vécut de 1826 à 1882 et fut compositeur.
Vie
Edward Mack naquit en 1826 et mourut en 1882.
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Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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In this article
Early Life and Education
Early Life and Education
Edward L. Mack was born on 24 August 1826 in Stuttgart, Baden Württemberg, Germany, and was baptized at the Evangelische Leonhardskirche on 3 September 1826. He emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1831, at about five years of age. In 1844, at approximately eighteen years old, Mack was admitted to the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind in Philadelphia, where he received formal training that shaped his early musical formation.
Career
Career
By the 1850s Mack had established himself in Philadelphia as a pianist, music teacher, and composer. He wrote music aimed at the parlor market—marches, waltzes, and variations on popular melodies—designed to be both appealing and playable by amateur home pianists. His parlor arrangements included settings of familiar tunes such as "Annie Laurie" and "Home, Sweet Home," and he published extensively with Philadelphia firms, notably Lee & Walker. During and after the American Civil War Mack composed numerous patriotic and military marches honoring Union leaders and public figures. His marches—titles associated with his output include pieces honoring McClellan, Grant, and Lincoln, were widely circulated and performed in civic and military contexts. He also wrote topical and novelty pieces reflecting contemporary interests, including bicycle themed works such as "The Velocipede Gallop" and "The Cyclopede Waltz."
Personal Life and Occupations
Personal Life and Occupations
Mack lived in Philadelphia throughout his adult life and appears in federal census and directory records for the city across several decades. His recorded occupations include pupil (1850), teacher of music (1860), teacher (1870), piano dealer/tuner or repair man (1874), and pianist (1880). He married and had four children: Edward L. Mack Jr. (born c.1855), Lotti W. (born c.1857), Ema L. (born c.1858), and Sarah E. (born 1859).
Selected Works
Selected Works
• General McClellan’s Grand March • General Grant’s Grand March • President Lincoln’s Funeral March • Variations on "Annie Laurie" • Arrangements of "Home, Sweet Home" • I'll Give to You a Paper of Pins • That Young Man Across the Way • The Velocipede Gallop • The Cyclopede Waltz
Output and Reception
Mack was a prolific publisher of sheet music. Hundreds of titles by Mack survive in public collections and score libraries, and his works, ranging from intimate parlor pieces to grand public marches, help illustrate the commercial sheet music market and popular musical tastes of mid 19th century America.
Death and Legacy
Mack died on 7 January 1882 in Philadelphia; the death record lists apoplexy (cerebral hemorrhage/stroke) as the cause. He was buried on 10 January 1882 at Odd Fellows Cemetery; his remains were later moved to Mount Peace or Lawnview. Mack’s extensive published output and strong representation in institutional collections make his music a valuable source for understanding popular musical tastes and the commercial sheet music market of his era.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Edward Mack, revision 1373983350 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Germany, Births and Baptisms, 1558–1898. FamilySearch, FamilySearch, 2013. Baptismal Etry for Edward L. Mack. FHL Film Number 1055651.
- 2.Edward Mack, prolific composer of Civil War marches. 24 October 2011.
- 3.Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500–1985. Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
- 4.United States Bureau of the Census. 1850 United States Federal Census. Philadelphia, North Mulberry Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll 815, Page 336. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; Series M432. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- 5.Collins, Paul. Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of Renowned Obscurity, Famous Anonymity, and Rotten Luck. Picador USA. 226. 2002. 9781466892057.
- 6.Mack, Edward. Notated Music. Library of Congress, Music Division, Date, https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=contributor:mack,+e.
- 7.United States Bureau of the Census. 1850 United States Federal Census. Philadelphia, North Mulberry Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll 815, Page 336. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; Series M432. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- 8.United States Bureau of the Census. 1860 United States Federal Census. Philadelphia, Ward 10, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll M653_1160, page 946. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; Series M653. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- 9.United States Bureau of the Census. 1870 United States Federal Census. Philadelphia, Ward 13, District 38, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll M593_1397, p. 364B. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; Series M593. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- 10.United States Bureau of the Census. 1880 United States Federal Census. Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Enumeration District 218, p. 262C; Roll 1173. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- 11.Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669–2013. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Reel 1218.
- 12.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates Index, 1803–1915. Philadelphia Department of Records, Philadelphia.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 2
- Collins, Paul. Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of Renowned Obscurity, Famous Anonymity, and Rotten Luck. Picador USA. 2002. 9781466892057.
- Cite book|last1=Fuld|first1=James|last2=Lichtenwanger|first2=William
References
Citations
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 13 September 2026.
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