Music & Musical Instruments

This reed organ was made by Mason & Hamlin Organ Co. in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1876. It is a cabinet style pump organ, serial #34435, with a single keyboard, with a compass of FF - f3, a knee stop, and two pedals. The organ’s stop list is as follows:

Bass: Viola
Diapason
Treble: Melodia
Flute
Tremulant

This cymbal was made by Avedis Zildjian Company in Norwell, Massachusetts, 1970s. It is a Hi-Hat Cymbal, made of brass. The cymbal is marked:

AVEDIS
ZILDJIAN Co
GENUINE
TURKISH CYMBALS
MADE IN THE U.S.A.

This hi-hat cymbal is from a drumset used by American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader Ray McKinley around 1969-1980. Ray McKinley (1910-1995) made his first recordings with Red Nichols, where he worked with Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey, in 1931. McKinley continued to work mostly with Miller and the Dorsey Brothers (Jimmy and Tommy) through 1939. He then was a member of Will Bradley’s band through 1942. After enlisting in the Army in 1942, McKinley joined Glenn Miller’s American Band of The Allied Expeditionary Forces (AEF). After Miller’s disappearance in 1944, McKinley co-led the band with Jerry Gray.

After the war, McKinley formed his own band and worked as a freelance musician. In 1956 he was commissioned by the widow of Glenn Miller to organize a new band under Miller’s name using the original library and style. This band made a successful tour of Iron Curtain countries in 1957 and continued to tour the United States until 1966. McKinley played drums while Buddy DeFranco fronted the band from 1966-1974. McKinley continued to perform through the 1980s.

This music box disc was made by Lloyd G. Kelley, successor to the Regina Music Box Company, in Hanover, Massachusetts, 1950s. It is Regina Disc #3031 – “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” This disc is playable in a Regina Disc Music Box that can accommodate a 15-1/2” diameter disc.

This disc features the following patents:

U. S. Patent #417649, dated December 17, 1889, by Oskar Paul Lochmann for a music plate for mechanical instruments.

U. S. Patent #500374, dated June 27, 1893, by Gustav A. Brachhausen and Paul Riessner for a note-plate for music boxes.

This flute was made by William S. Haynes in Boston, Massachusetts in 1949. It is a Boehm System flute, serial #20500, made of platinum with gold keys and accessioned with an original case and case cover, and an extra gold head joint with an original case. This flute is engraved:

THE HAYNES FLUTE
MFD. BY
WM. S. HAYNES CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
20500
REG. TRADE MARK

This bow was made by Arnold R. Bone in Framingham, Massachusetts, about 1944. It is a violin bow, with a Pernambuco stick, German made ebony frog with pearl eyes, ebony button with 2 nickel silver rings.

The story goes, this bow was possibly the first bow Bone made which he showed to Ouchard and Wurlitzer in New York. Ouchard commented that the bow was a cheap German bow since it had a German-made frog. After that meeting, Bone started making his own frogs.

Arnold R. Bone (July 26, 1913 - August 9, 2001) was an engineer, inventor, gunsmith, string instrument bowmaker. He grew up in South Ryegate, Vermont, and graduated from Wentworth Institute in 1935. After graduation, Bone worked at Irwin Auger Bit Company in Wilmington, Ohio before returning to Wentworth to teach Navy machinist mates during World War II until 1944. The final part of his career, Bone worked at Dennison Mfg. Company in Framingham (now Avery Dennison) when he retired in 2000.

Arnold R. Bone held numerous patents at Dennison, including several for the Swiftacher, the device for attaching tags to clothing with a nylon filament. His ubiquitous fasteners are still used today. Bone applied his engineering and master craftsman skills to making string instrument bows, and also became one of the world's most respected experts on repair and restoration of fine bows. His customers ranged from young students to members of professional ensembles such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and bows were shipped to him from all over the world.

This New England Bass Viol was made by Benjamin Crehore in Milton, Massachusetts, about 1790. It has a two-piece table of pine, one-piece back of slab-cut American maple with irregular faint, fine horizontal figure, ribs of similar maple, plain maple neck, pegbox and scroll, original square soundpost with small pins at either end to prevent movement, orange-brown varnish, solid ebony tailpiece and ebony veneered maple fingerboard, and painted purfling. This instrument has an original printed label:

Bafeviols
MADE AND SOLD BY
Benjamin C rehore,
IN MILTON.

[*Note: the space in the word “Crehore” shows signs of printer’s error, with an erased second letter.]

Though self-taught, Benjamin Crehore (1765-1831) worked more closely to the classical stringed instrument making tradition than other New England makers. Known to have built instruments of New England Bass Viol proportions as early as 1788, Crehore is thought to have turned to the smaller classical cello model after the opening of the Theatre in Boston in the 1790’s. Crehore also built several pianos and is best remembered today as the founder of the Boston school of piano making, which later included Alpheus Babcock and Jonas Chickering.

The instrument retains the neck, fingerboard, tailpiece, bass-bar, soundpost, bridge and pegs intact. A rare original “coffin” case (Cat. 1981.0030.02) of wood with one bow holder and accessory box accompanies the instrument. (When closed, this case resembles a small coffin.)

The other four known bass viols built by Benjamin Crehore, the earliest dated 1788, are in the Musical Instruments Department, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The modern term for this instrument is church bass. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this instrument was also known as the American bass viol, New England bass viol, or Yankee bass viol. These church basses were used in churches and meeting houses to provide a bass line for maintaining a consistent key by New England congregational singers. The church bass was also used by popular singing groups such as the Hutchinson Family singers.

This drum was made by Abner Stevens in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1812. The wood drum shell has been cut down approximately 3 inches from each end and features an image of the American bald eagle on a flag shield with a banner inscribed “LIBERTY OR DEATH.” It has black painted hoops and metal hooks laced with rope through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. The drum is currently disassembled. The paper label inside the shell is inscribed:

AMERICAN DRUMS
ABNE[R] [S]TEVENS,
HA[S] FOR SALE
TAMBOREANS, BASS & COM[ ]
DRUMS,
MADE IN THE BEST MANNER
At his Factory in the center of the town of
PITTSFIELD, (Ms.) 1812.

”This drum was carried during five years of the Civil War by Henry K. Bevier, father of donor, who was drum major of the 72d New York Zuaves. He carried the drum through many engagements of the Civil War including the Battle of Gettysburg and also in the Victory Parade held in Washington, D. C. at the close of the War. The family tradition is that this drum was originally purchased by his grandfather who carried it during the war of 1812.”

”Henry K. Bevier was born on December 1, 1843 at Jerusalem in Erie County/New York, the son of Samuel and Rhoda Taylor. On August 5, 1869, he married Mary M. Taylor and in 1873 settled in Elisabethtown, Bartholemew County, Indiana. He later moved to Nebraska and was at the time of his death in his 90's the oldest surviving Civil War veteran in Nebraska."

”Some time after the Civil War, Bevier cut three inches off the top of the drum body and three inches off its bottom and made a new drum which he gave to one son. The remaining center portion, was made into another drum and given to another son, which is the drum donated to the museum.”

Henry K. Bevier (1843-1938 ) [recorded in roster as Brevier] enlisted on May 28, 1861. He was a musician with the 72nd New York Infantry, Company D. He was mustered in June 20, 1861. Bevier was mustered out June 19, 1864.

This music box disc was made by Lloyd G. Kelley, successor to the Regina Music Box Company, in Hanover, Massachusetts, 1950s. It is Regina Disc #1011 – “Sociability March,” by Brown.. This disc is playable in a Regina Disc Music Box that can accommodate a 15-1/2” diameter disc.

This disc features the following patents:

U. S. Patent #417649, dated December 17, 1889, by Oskar Paul Lochmann for a music plate for mechanical instruments.

U. S. Patent #500374, dated June 27, 1893, by Gustav A. Brachhausen and Paul Riessner for a note-plate for music boxes.