The Anacreontic Song: The Melody of Our National Anthem

In the Muse: Performing Arts at the Library of Congress

07/02/2026 07:14 AM EDT

The Music Division is pleased to announce the acquisition of a first edition of The Anacreontic Song, from which the melody of our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, is derived. This edition joins our other first edition, which became part of the national collection in 1914. Only 12 documented copies of this rare edition are known to have survived.

You are subscribed to In the Muse Blog from the Library of Congress.


This email was sent to NPxrji73qy@niepodam.pl using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Library of Congress · 101 Independence Ave, SE · Washington, DC 20540 · 202-707-5000