Boston, Chas. D. Blake . (1887). With an unsigned monochrome front cover illustrating the title of the series of Songs from the Old Homestead and which shows people playing chequers and talking before a fire and with a character in the foreground and with a signed inset illustration portrait ( sadly slightly trimmed) but possibly the composer Canning .According to Sigmund Spaeth in a History of Popular Music’ 1887 marked the publication of Rock a Bye Baby possibly written a year earlier by Canning and based on the familiar Mother Goose jingle and featured in the show The Old Homestead and this is confirmed by Dichter & Shapiro . (See also Boston Theatre Programme in Theatre Ephemera catalogue.) Folio size with music. Slightly trimmed along bottom edge else Condition very good .