Granger’s Index is a reference guide that is still being published today. Now in its 13th edition, it’s now titled The Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry in Anthologies, ed. Tessa Kale (New York: Columbia University Press, 2007).
It first appeared in 1904, edited by Edith Granger, as An Index to Poetry and Recitations: Being a Practical Reference Manual for the Librarian, Teacher, Bookseller, Elocutionist, etc., including over thirty thousand titles from three hundred and sixty-nine books (Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1904). (Available on Internet Archive)
The Index comprised an index of anthologies in print, followed by indicies for Title, Author, and First Line. In the “Preface,” Granger states:
“In this book are indexed the contents of three hundred and sixty-nine volumes, comprising standard and popular collections of poetry, recitations (both prose and verse), orations, drills, dialogues, selections from dramas, etc., all in print at the time of compilation, and the majority to be found on the shelves of any good-sized public library. The list includes over thirty thousand titles.
The Index does not claim to list all recitations extant, but few popular ones will be sought in vain…” (5).
The “Abbreviations” (8) lists a number of categories of texts, including: mon. (monologue), rec. (recitation), v. (verse), as well as char. (charade), ent. (entertainment), pant. (pantomime), S.S. (Sunday School) and tab. (tableau). Section II of the Appendix contains the followings lists:
- Charades
- Dialogues, Plays, Concert Recitations, etc.
- Drills
- Pantomimes
- Parodies
- Tableaux
(Section III of the Appendix is “Noted Personages” and IV “Temperance Selections” — the “Noted Personages” section disappeared in the 1918 edition).
Posted by Jason 
