Carl Sandburg bought his first guitar in April, 1910, while working in Milwaukee. He liked the gentle tone of the instrument as well as its physical appearance. He learned three or four chords and stayed close to the melody of a song with his vocal accompaniment.

A few years later, when he began to give lectures across the country to supplement his income from writing, he would close his programs with the singing of folk songs he had collected. The audience responded enthusiastically to the music and his singing. Often he would socialize after the performance singing more songs and talking with people who knew the old-time words and music. Many more songs were added to his repertoire in this way.

In 1926, he published nearly three hundred of them in The American Songbag. Each was scored for the piano which was the most commonly played in homes in those days. When the 1950 edition was published, the chord symbols for the guitar were included.

Over the years Sandburg had met and befriended many editorial cartoonists. In 1948 he was invited to stay at the home of Terry and Gregory d’Alessio at 8 Henderson Place on the upper east side of Manhattan. Both were artists and cartoonists. Greg was an expert on the classical guitar.

Sandburg was allowed to use the top floor of their four-story brownstone where he could work and sleep. He arrived with paper luggage—one shopping bag filled with notebooks and writing paper and the other filled with clothing and personal items including a box of cheroots and a bottle of bourbon.

In the evenings, friends would come to the house to share music and stories with Sandburg. He was the center of attention with his folk singing and guitar playing. He loved the companionship of these artistic people.

Gregory d’Alessio was co-editor of the Guitar Review, a publication of the Society of the Classic Guitar. Sandburg had read the journal and wanted to become acquainted with classical guitar players. He wanted to learn to play as they did. Although Sandburg very much appreciated the music, his fingers were not sophisticated nor his knowledge deep enough to become a good player of classical guitar.

Being a poet and a writer, Sandburg submitted a prose-poem to Guitar Review for publication. It was entitled “The Guitar;Some Definitions by Carl Sandburg.” He described the guitar as a portable companion and vibratory implement, among other things.

In his travels across the country Sandburg developed friendships from coast to coast. Staying in homes of friends was much more pleasant than being in lonely hotel rooms. He purchased guitars and left them at those homes. They would be ready for him when he returned. Those friends would become part of his world-wide circle and he loved every one in it. Occasionally, he would give his guitar to a person who had admired it. He would also send copies of his books to those friends. The books were often inscribed with short intimate poems expressing his love and admiration for the recipient.

The house at 8 Henderson Place is now a museum dedicated to the history of cartoons and classical guitar.