Music & Musical Instruments - Overview
The Museum's music collections contain more than 5,000 instruments of American and European heritage. These include a quartet of 18th-century Stradivari stringed instruments, Tito Puente's autographed timbales, and the Yellow Cloud guitar that belonged to Prince, to name only a few. Several of these rare instruments can be heard in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players and in other public programs. Music collections also include jukeboxes and synthesizers, square-dancing outfits and sheet music, archival materials, oral histories, and recordings of performances at the Museum. The vast Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated Sheet Music is a remarkable window into the American past in words, music, and visual imagery. The Duke Ellington and Ruth Ellington Boatwright collections contain handwritten music compositions, sound recordings, business records, and other materials documenting the career of this renowned musician.
"Music & Musical Instruments - Overview" showing 492 items.
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Maccaferri G40 Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was designed by Mario Maccaferri and made by the French American Reeds Manufacturing Company of Mount Vernon, New York in 1954. Maccaferri (1900-1993) was born in Cento, Italy and at the age of eleven became an apprentice to guitarist and luthier Luigi Mozzani. After an early career as a guitarist and instrument maker in Europe, Maccaferri immigrated to the United States in 1939. Mario Maccaferri developed a variety of plastic instruments including plastic woodwind reeds and a plastic ukulele. This six course (6x1) guitar, model G-40, was made of Dow Styron plastic. As indicated in the original brochure accompanying this guitar, it sold for $39.95.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1954
- maker
- Maccaferri, Mario
- ID Number
- 1994.0136.01
- accession number
- 1994.0136
- catalog number
- 1994.0136.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Martin & Coupa Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Martin & Coupa of New York, New York around 1840-1841. Christian Freidrich Martin’s guitar manufacturing company made guitars in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and sold many of them through his shops in New York. Martin had a number of associations and sold guitars with labels such as “Martin and Schatz,” “Martin and Bruno,” and “Martin and Coupa.” This guitar bears the printed label: “MARTIN & COUPA [/] Guitar manufacturers [/] 385 Broadway [/] up Stairs [/] have always on hand the largest assortment of Guitars [/] that can be found in the United States.” John Coupa was a prominent guitar instructor and was contracted with C.F. Martin to sell guitars under the label “Martin and Coupa.” This is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top, bird's-eye maple veneered mahogany back and sides, and a machine head.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- prior attribution
- 1850
- date made
- 1850-1860
- 1840-1841
- maker
- Martin & Coupa
- ID Number
- MI*378846
- accession number
- 145343
- catalog number
- 378846
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Zogbaum & Fairchild Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Zogbaum & Fairchild of New York, New York around 1865-1875. Ferdinand Zogbaum and Rufus Fairchild established their manufacturing and importing company in Charleston, South Carolina in 1845. By 1853, Zogbaum & Fairchild had relocated to No. 10 Maiden Lane in New York City.
- William Tilton, inventor and musical instrument maker, began manufacturing instruments in New York in 1853. Tilton made new guitars and retrofitted other guitars with his improvements including his two guitar patents (U.S. Patent #10380, January 3, 1854, and U.S. Patent #14378, March 4, 1856). Around 1865, Zogbaum & Fairchild acquired the rights to manufacture guitars using Tilton’s improvements.
- This is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck with machine head. It bears a medallion: “Wm. B. TILTONS [/] IMPROVEMENT, [/] NEW YORK [/] Patented MARCH 4, 1856 [/] ZOGBAUM & FAIRCHILD [/] NEW YORK.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1896-1898
- maker
- Zogbaum & Fairchild
- ID Number
- MI*73.28
- accession number
- 302691
- catalog number
- 73.28
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Hall & Son Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made for William Hall & Son in New York around 1848-1875. It is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top, rosewood back, mahogany veneered birch sides, and a machine head. William Hall formed a number of partnerships in New York from 1821 to 1874, including Firth & Hall; Firth, Hall & Pond; and William Hall & Son. This guitar bears the stamp: “WILLIAM HALL & SON [/] 239 BROADWAY [/] NEW-YORK 2432.” Hall & Son published and sold sheet music and manufactured and sold pianos, organs, guitars, and woodwind instruments. It is believed that guitars and banjos sold by Hall & Son were made by James Ashborn in Connecticut.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1848-1875
- maker
- William Hall & Son
- ID Number
- MI*78.02
- accession number
- 1978.0845
- catalog number
- 78.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
"Down Where the Werzburger Flows" Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- The sheet music for the song, “Down Where the Wurzburger Flows” was published by Harry Von Tilzer in New York, New York in 1902. It was written by Vincent P. Bryan and composed by Harry Von Tilzer. The cover sheet has an image of Ruth Garnold, a popular singer at the time whose image was used to sell copies of the tune. The image on the cover resembles the bottom of a wooden cask of beer, as the song celebrated the drinking of the German brew, Wurzburger.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1902
- composer
- Von Tilzer, Harry
- lyricist
- Bryan, Vincent P.
- user
- Woodside, Lura
- performer
- Garnold, Ruth
- publisher
- Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Co.
- ID Number
- 1979.1154.06
- accession number
- 1979.1154
- catalog number
- 1979.1154.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
C. Bruno & Son Banjo Ukulele
- Description (Brief)
- This banjo ukulele was sold by C. Bruno & Son, Inc. in New York, New York around 1916-1925. The wholesale musical instrument merchandiser was founded in 1834 by Charles Bruno. Charles, Jr. joined his father around 1862 and later served as the company’s president until his death in 1912.
- A nationwide enthusiasm for all things Hawaiian was sparked by performances of hula dancing and ukulele playing at the Hawaiian Pavilion during the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Within months, banjos tuned and played like Hawaiian ukuleles were marketed to capitalize on the growing interest.
- In a 1927 advertisement in the Music Trade Review, the Bruno company asserted: “In conscientiously marketing, advancing and promoting the products of the makers, "Bruno" likewise has served the best interests of a great host of retail music dealers throughout the world. And so through this development, the trade slogan "Bruno Means Security" was evolved.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1900-1925
- maker
- Bruno
- ID Number
- 1982.0204.01
- accession number
- 1982.0204
- catalog number
- 1982.0204.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Before the World Began” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song "Before the World Began" was written as a poem by Andrew B. Sterling and composed by Alfred Solman. The music was published by the Joe Morris Music Co. of New York, New York in 1917. The cover notes that the song was “introduced Harry Ellis, America’s Famous Tenor.” The “B” in “Before” of the title is written in a fancy script in red, and the first letter of most words on the cover is red.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900
- 1917
- lyricist
- Sterling, Andrew B.
- composer
- Solman, Alfred
- publisher
- Joe Morris Music Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.21
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.021
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Rosenbaum” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song "Rosenbaum" was written and composed by Fred Fischer and published by the Fred Fischer Music Publishing Company of New York, New York in 1908. The cover features an illustration of a soldier doll done by Gene Buck. The cover also has a photograph of Ben Welch on the lower right, a vaudevillian actor who would have performed this song.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1908
- composer; lyricist
- Fischer, Fred
- publisher
- Fred Fischer Music Pub. Co.
- ID Number
- 1982.0439.32
- accession number
- 1982.0439
- catalog number
- 1982.0439.32
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Virgil Tekniklavier
- Description (Brief)
- This clavier is a practice instrument made by Mrs. Antha M. Virgil around 1910, in New York, New York. Practice claviers such as this one were often stringless or muted, but had piano “action” to train young pianists. Mrs. Antha Virgil was married to Almon Virgil, and together they started producing several practice books, pianos, and lessons in New York. After their divorce around 1900, they started competing in the practice piano market, and Mrs. Virgil produced this Tekniklavier. It has a compass of AA-c5.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1909-1911
- maker
- Virgil, Antha M.
- ID Number
- 1983.0482.01
- accession number
- 1983.0482
- catalog number
- 1983.0482.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Virgil Practice Clavier
- Description (Brief)
- This practice clavier was made by Almon Kincaid Virgil in New York around 1896. Practice pianos such as this were popular for their ability to weight the keys, forcing the pianist to press them harder and in doing so building up finger strength and enforcing muscle memory. The inscription reads Virgil/ Perfected/ Practice Clavier/ New York, and has patent dates of June 29, 1888, Oct. 23, 188, July 19, 1892 on it. The piano is serial number 3614 and has a compass of AA-c4.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1896
- maker
- Virgil, Almon K.
- ID Number
- 1983.0485.01
- accession number
- 1983.0485
- catalog number
- 1983.0485.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center