The Case:
A Eugene, Oregon woman was helping her father pack up his house when she found a yellowed document tucked away inside his desk. It had been there for nearly sixty years. She soon discovered it was a handwritten manuscript for the The Star Spangled Banner.
Her father got the manuscript in 1935 as a gift from his mentor, Arnold J. Gantvoort. Ganvoort was part of a committee to create an official, standardized version of the national anthem. Appraisers at Antiques Roadshow valued the music at $10-$15,000. History Detectives host, Elyse Luray sets out to determine what role this document played in the creation of our national anthem.
More Information
Ft McHenry National Monument
2400 East Fort Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21230
410) 962-4290
www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm
Marine Band Library and Museum
8th & I Streets SE
Washington, DC 20390
www.marineband.usmc.mil/learning_tools/library_and_archives/
Original Manuscript
Take a closer look at the original Star Spangled Banner. 1814. Manuscript by Francis Scott Key.
Courtesy of Maryland Historical Society.
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