Historic 1948 Tex Ritter Hand-Signed Capitol Record Hits Song Folio
This museum-grade, 16-page Tex Ritter Capitol Record Hits Song Folio songbook—published in 1948—stands as an exceptional artifact of traditional country music, Western cinema, and twentieth-century Americana history. Personally hand-signed on the front cover by pioneering singing cowboy and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Tex Ritter, this extraordinary piece of mid-century sheet music ephemera was a special edition sold exclusively on his traveling tours for 50 cents.
Produced during the absolute zenith of his post-war commercial recording power with Capitol Records, this tour-signed volume offers an intimate, unvarnished window into the daily footprint of a Hollywood icon at the dawn of the golden age of Western entertainment.
Historical Breakdown & Publishing Architecture
Issued from the media epicenter of mid-century entertainment, the folio documents Ritter's extensive multimedia cultural footprint across records, radio, and motion pictures:
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The Publishing Matrix: Developed directly under his private publishing imprint: Copyright 1948 — Tex Ritter Music Publications, Inc., RKO Bldg., Radio City, New York.
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Sheet Music Covenants: Indexes and provides complete arrangements for Ritter's defining, career-making traditional recordings, including “Rye Whiskey,” “Green Grow The Lilacs,” “Boll Weevil,” and “Billy The Kid.”
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Photo-Biographical Layout: Unfolds into a historical gallery featuring a full-page portrait of Ritter in decorated Western gear alongside his legendary horse companion, White Flash. A stunning two-page center spread titled “Tex Ritter Gets Around” chronicles his nationwide tours, capturing autograph sessions in Amarillo, a studio tracking date with Capitol Records executive Lee Gillette, and an on-air broadcasting appearance at Radio Station KONO in San Antonio.
Autograph Pedigree & Archival Condition
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Pristine Ritter Signature: The central portrait cover vignette features a spectacular, beautifully sweeping bold fountain ink signature: "Tex Ritter". Hand-penned directly across his cowboy hat crown, Ritter also hand-inscribed a clear active-era date marker reading "1948", establishing the absolute pinnacle of historical pedigree.
Dating back nearly eighty years, this premium vintage folio remains in wonderful, structurally complete condition. The heavy paper stock cover and interior sheet music panels show only natural, honest edge wear and light tanning characteristic of genuine mid-century theatrical ephemera. The dark ink autograph is flawlessly preserved, offering superb visual contrast over the violet and dark blue cover design blocks. Safely housed inside a clear, archival-grade protective display sleeve, this certified folio represents the absolute zenith of premium classic country and Western cinema heritage collecting.
