'Till We Meet Again

THE COMPOSERS

Raymond Blanning Egan (November 14, 1890 – October 13, 1952) was a Canadian-American bank clerk turned songwriter, who wrote a number of hits for film and musical theatre.

Richard Armstrong Whiting (November 12, 1891 – February 19, 1938) was an American composer who wrote a number of hit songs during his career. His first hits came in 1914 with “I Wonder Where My Lovin’ Man Has Gone” and “It’s Tulip Time in Holland”.

At first, Whitling didn’t like the song and threw it out. His secretary retrieved it from the trash. She showed it to his publisher, who thought it had merit.

Egan and Whiting often collaborated on compositions, with “Till We Meet Again” being their greatest success.

BEST SELLER

“Till We Meet Again” was published in 1918 and became an instant classic. It was the number one recorded song of 1919 and its sheet music flew off shelves. It may even still hold the record for most copies sold!

The song tells the story of a couple in love, parted as the soldier served overseas. It asks the woman to focus not on the sorrow of parting, but instead on the joy of reunion and the life they will have when he returns.

Of course, there were no guarantees, but songs like this one helped people carry on and gave them hope for better days ahead.

COVER ARTIST

Many sheet music covers are unsigned or unattributed by their artist, but not this one.

Frederick S. Manning (1874-1960) is the artist behind this sheet music cover art. He had a successful career as a commercial artist working for companies such as the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Evening Post, Union Pacific Railway and Coca-Cola.

His work caught the eye of music producers who appreciated his talents for portraits and hired him to produce the covers that would help sell their sheet music -- especially the love songs. It became somewhat of a second career for him, and his work commanded upwards of $150 per cover.

Manning would often sketch a concept for approval, then complete his work using paid models. Much of his work was done in watercolour or pastel with ink highlights.