The First Edition of the 'Jingle Bells' Sheet Music from 160 Years Ago to Be Auctioned... Estimated Price Up to 12 Million Won

Published in 1859 by a Boston publisher
Only 2 first editions exist... The other is held by a museum in New York, USA

Christmas items are being sold at Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Junran] The original edition of the sheet music for "Jingle Bells," a song that represents Christmas, is going up for auction.

According to the British daily Daily Mail on the 11th (local time), the UK auction house Henry Aldridge & Son will hold an auction on the 17th for an 8-page sheet music of Jingle Bells written in 1859.

The sheet music was published by the Boston-based publisher Oliver Ditson & Company. The sheet music had been owned by a private collector until now and is being revealed to the public for the first time in 162 years. Henry Aldridge & Son estimated the winning bid for the sheet music to be ?8,000 (approximately 12.8 million KRW).

The auction house stated that there are only two original editions of Jingle Bells sheet music, including the one being auctioned this time. The other is currently held in a museum in New York, USA.

The sheet music for Jingle Bells was written by American composer James Pierpont, and its original title was "One Horse Open Sleigh." However, over time, it became more famous under the name Jingle Bells.

Also, when the sheet music was first published, the lyrics did not mention Christmas. It was simply about riding a sleigh. Pierpont later drew bells symbolizing Christmas on the cover of the sheet music, and 30 years later, when it was released as a record, Jingle Bells became established as a representative Christmas song.

Meanwhile, Jingle Bells is also known as the first music played in space. On December 16, 1965, astronauts aboard the US manned spacecraft Gemini 6 performed their mission while playing this song on a harmonica and sleigh bells.

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