Object of the Day

“On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” Sheet Music

April 24

The Oscar-winning song, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Johnny Mercer for the 1946 motion picture, The Harvey Girls, which starred Judy Garland.

“On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"

Description
The Oscar-winning song, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Johnny Mercer for the 1946 motion picture, The Harvey Girls. In the film, the song is an important element in a nine-minute sequence which charts the growing excitement in the Arizona community of Deadrock as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe train arrives. Among the passengers aboard the train are young women who have come to the Southwest to be waitresses, or “Harvey Girls,” in a Harvey House restaurant. The song became a staple in the repertoire of Judy Garland, the film’s star. Garland’s photograph is central to the design on the sheet music cover. The illustrations of dance hall girls and Harvey House waitresses that flank the photo convey graphically the central plot conflict in the movie.
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Museum of American History
publisher
Leo Feist, Inc.
publishing date
1945
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
ink (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12 in x 9 in; 30.48 cm x 22.86 cm
Object Name
sheet music