1920s Sheet Music "From One Till Two"

1920s Sheet Music "From One Till Two" is a vintage Sheet Music Covers artifact by Jack Nelson Music Co. / Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co. from 1920, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.

Category: Sheet Music Covers

Brand: Jack Nelson Music Co. / Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co.

Year: 1920

Rarity Class: B

Last updated: October 27, 2026

A mesmerizing artifact of the Jazz Age, this sheet music cover marries strict Art Deco geometry with the romantic yearning of early 20th-century Tin Pan Alley. Illustrated by the prolific commercial artist Barbelle, it stands as a testament to the era's sophisticated graphic design and the music industry's power to capture the modern urban imagination.

Quick Read

Origin: Published in the 1920s by Jack Nelson Music Co. (209 West 48th St., NY) and distributed by the legendary Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co., placing it at the epicenter of Tin Pan Alley. Subject: Features a quintessential 1920s "flapper" with bobbed hair and Art Deco earrings, positioned centrally within a clock face pointing to "One Till Two." Artist: Illustrated by Albert Wilfred Barbelle, one of the most prolific and defining commercial sheet music artists of the Jazz Age. Design Style: A prime example of commercial Art Deco, utilizing a highly effective flat graphic style, stylized botanical backgrounds, and a restricted period color palette. Condition: Exhibits expected utilitarian wear, including prominent corner creasing, edge fraying, and even paper toning, yet retains exceptional ink saturation and structural integrity.

Summary

A mesmerizing artifact of the Jazz Age, this sheet music cover marries strict Art Deco geometry with the romantic yearning of early 20th-century Tin Pan Alley. Illustrated by the prolific commercial artist Barbelle, it stands as a testament to the era's sophisticated graphic design and the music industry's power to capture the modern urban imagination.

Vintage sheet music cover for "From One Till Two (I Always Dream Of You)." The central illustration features a portrait of a 1920s flapper with dark, wavy bobbed hair and geometric earrings, set inside the face of a large, pale clock with gold numerals. The background is a dark, moody green-black adorned with stylized, flat-drawn grey and white leaves and gold, disc-like flowers at the bottom. Typography at the top reads "FROM ONE TILL TWO" in bold serif letters. Artist signature "Barbelle" is in the bottom right corner. The publisher block at the bottom center reads "JACK NELSON MUSIC CO. / 209 WEST 48th STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. / Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co. / SELLING AGENTS."