I See Tho My Eyes Are Closed. Dedicated to W. C. Handy

New York: Handy Brothers Music Co., Inc, 1951. Quarto sheet music, single folded leaf making 4 pp. Light toning to margins, else near fine. 9 x 12 inches. “Sample Copy” stamped on cover. Inscribed and signed by W. C. Handy on the front cover to Miss Sybil Gregory, dated June 16, 1951, the year of publication. Near Fine.. An uncommon Handy Brothers Music Co. publication issued late in the career of W. C. Handy (1873–1958). The song is credited to Lazarus A. Aaronson, a little-documented composer whose work here was published in homage to Handy. The present copy bears Handy’s contemporary inscription: “To Miss Sybil Gregory — W. C. Handy — 6-16-1951.”

Little information survives regarding Gregory, suggesting a personal acquaintance or admirer within Handy’s musical circle. Signed publications from the Handy Brothers imprint are uncommon and provide a tangible association with one of the most influential figures in the history of American blues.