Music & Musical Instruments

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, undetermined date. It is a Marine Band Full Concert model in the key of G, with 10 double holes and 40 reeds. This harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates attached to the top and bottom with screws and nuts. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The harmonica is engraved:

MARINE BAND
M. HOHNER

This snare drum was made by Ernest Vogt, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in1864. It has a blue-painted shell with a painted eagle design with a banner held in the eagle’s beak inscribed “REG: U.S. INFANTRY,” and two skin heads. There are two red-painted wood hoops drilled with 10 holes each for rope which is laced through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. The shell is reinforced with brass tacks in a design unique to the workmanship of Ernest Vogt.

The label on the inside of the shell indicates Vogt received a government contract on December 29, 1864. Approximately 2,000 regiment drums under this contract, were made from the workshop of Ernest Vogt.

This drum was previously owned by the donor's grandfather, Samuel Kyle (1845-1924). Samuel Kyle served as a private in Company K, 22nd Regiment of New Jersey. Kyle was mustered in Septemebr 2, 1862 and mustered out June 22, 1863. As was the practice of the era, Kyle acquired this drum as a memento at the end of his tour of duty.

This roller organ roll was made by an undetermined maker in the United States, about 1885. It is roll #205 - "Dixie." This roll is playable in 20-note roller organs.

This roller organ roll features U. S. Patent #333390, dated July 14, 1885, by Henry B. Morris for a barrel for mechanical musical instruments.

This mixing box was made by Raytheon Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois, 1950s. It is a portable mixing box, model RR-30, serial #201, made of metal, with plastic components. This mixing box was used with other equipment in the remote ready box (2002.0319.20) by the Annapolis, Maryland radio station, WANN (1190 AM), for remote broadcasts. The mixer was accessioned with a custom carrying box, made of wood, covered with beige and brown fabric, with a clear plastic handle, two metal latches, and metal covered corners. The front of the box is stenciled “WANN.”

WANN (1190 AM) was a radio station based out of Annapolis, Maryland that primarily served the area's growing African American community. Morris Blum founded it in 1946, and it broadcast to the entire mid-Atlantic region. The station was home to disc jockey Charles "Hoppy" Adams starting in the early 1950s. Adams hosted weekly events at a local African American only beach, Carr's Beach, which were popular with the area's youth population.

WANN continued to program gospel, rhythm and blues, and public affairs features until 1992 when the station changed to a mainstream country format with the catchphrase “Bay Country 1190.” Around 1998, the station changed ownership and became WBIS, broadcasting a News Talk Information format.

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, undetermined date. It is a Donauwellen model in the key of C, with 16 double holes and 32 reeds. This harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates attached at the top and bottom with screws. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The harmonica is engraved:

DONAUWELLEN
M.HOHNER

This button is made of teal paper with black ink covered with a clear film, on a round two-piece metal button with a safety pin clutch. The button is printed:

NAACP
IMAGE
AWARDS

This kit was made by Henry Jay in London, England, about 1750. It is made of a one-piece table of spruce, body carved from one piece of maple cut on 45o slab, painted ink representation of purfling on table and back, neck “V” grafted to an 18th-century English neck, pegbox and closed scroll with one volute; two bone pegs for the “e” and “a” strings are probably original, and orange-brown varnish. This instrument has a handwritten label fragment:

Hen J
Lon[i]n 52[ ]

In 18th-century England, “kit” was used to describe an instrument with a small violin body and a long neck, used in the same manner as a pochette, or dancemaster’s fiddle. This instrument was probably made by Henry Jay who worked in London, from 1740 to 1776, and specialized in the kit. This maker is not to be confused with Henry Jay of Southwarke (1615-1667), the famous English viol maker.

This button celebrates Maxim Saury. It is a round button with a light blue background with black printing, covered with a clear film, on a two-piece metal button with a pin back. The button is printed:

Maxim Saury
[image of a clarinet]
JAZZ MUSIC

Maxim Saury (1928-2012) was a French jazz clarinetist and bandleader, who was prominent in the development of New Orleans and traditional jazz in France.

Floyd Levin (1922-2007) was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. His numerous reviews, profiles, and articles were published in magazines such as Down Beat, Jazz Journal International, Metronome, and American Rag. He also authored Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians. Items in this collection (2011.3086) were acquired from Levin’s attendance at Jazz Festivals, conferences, and other music events.

This stool was made by Slingerland in Chicago, Illinois, around 1938-1940. It is a Drummer’s Throne, made of wood, with a White Marine Pearl finish, metal trim, and a padded seat covered in orange fabric.

This drummer’s throne is from a drumset used by Buddy Rich in 1983-1987.

Bernard "Buddy" Rich (1917-1987) began his professional career as a drummer, tap dancer, and singer with his parents' vaudeville act before the age of two. By the time he was six, "Traps, the Boy Wonder," had performed on Broadway and toured the United States and Australia.

With the demise of the vaudeville circuit and the popularity of the swing era, Buddy became an orchestra musician. His talents as a drummer landed him a job offer with Joe Marsala's band at the Hickory House in New York City in 1937. This led to a long line of high-profile performances with Bunny Berrigan, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Carter. Buddy's playing style was characterized by phenomenal speed, four-way independence, and an uncanny way of driving a big band.

This violoncello was made Luigi Rovatti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1915. It is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with even fine descending figure, ribs of similar maple, mildly figured maple neck, pegbox and scroll; golden orange-brown varnish. The instrument has an original printed and handwritten label:

Luigi Rovattia
Ennio Bolognini
fece in Buenos-Ayres anno 1915
Calle Amambar. p. 232

(and a handwritten inscription):

Te Niglior
Violoncello del
mondo. Il mio
padrone e
Ennio Bolognini.
Cuando Studia
e mi suona bene

[”Best Violoncello of the world for my friend Ennio Bolognini.

This instrument was made expressly for the cellist Ennio Bolognini (b. November 7, 1893, Buenos Aires; d. July 31, 1979, Las Vegas). Bolognini was raised in a musical family and subsequently received his early training under José García, teacher of Pablo Casals, at the St. Cecilia Conservatory in Buenos Aires. His talent attracted the attention and friendship of highly regarded musicians such as Jasha Heifetz, Valdimir Horowitz, Victor Herbert and Maurice Ravel. During his years in Buenos Aires he shared an apartment with Arthur Rubenstein and Andrés Segovia. Ennio's father was a close friend of Arturo Toscanini, who became Ennio's godfather.

Ennio Bolognini became an American citizen in 1929 and pursued a career with symphony orchestras in Philadelphia, Chicago, Hollywood and Las Vegas. In addition to his remarkable talent as a cellist, he was a conductor and composer, writing six pieces in the style of flamenco guitar for the exclusive performance use of the American cellist, Christine Walewska. Beyond his musical accomplishments Bolognini was a South American boxing champion and licensed airplane pilot, and he is remembered by many colleagues for his unpredictable behavior both inside and outside the concert hall.

Ennio Bolognini collected autographs of prominent 20th century musicians, composers, conductors, actors and sports figures. They are written in ink on the table and ribs of this cello.

Among the most easily legible signatures are on the left (bass) side of the instrument. Signatures on the upper bass side of the cello include:

Remo Bolognini (1929-1973), violinist, brother of Ennio Bolognini

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Austrian-American violinist and composer

Dmitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960), Greek-American pianist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1937-1949) and the New York Philharmonic (1951-7)

Andrés Segovia (1893-1987), father of the modern classical guitar movement

Joseph Szigeti (1892-1973), Hungarian-American violinist

José Ferrer (1912-1992), the first Latino (Puerto Rican) actor to win an Academy Award

Bruno Walter (1876-1962), German-born conductor of many famous American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Richard Crooks (1900-1972) American tenor, a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera
G[iovanni] Martinelli, (1885-1969), Italian-American tenor, also a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera

János Starker (b. 1924), Hungarian-American cellist and teacher

Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), Hungarian-American violinist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1931-1936), and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1936-1980)

Richard Tucker (1913-1975), a leading American operatic tenor of the post-war era

Stephen Kates (1944-2003), American cellist, and the last person to sign Bolognini’s cello

This harmonica was made by Hohner in Germany, undetermined date. It is a Marine Band model in the key of G, with 10 double holes and 40 reeds. This harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates screwed to top and bottom. It is engraved:

MADE IN GERMANY
MARINE BAND
M. Hohner

This harmonica features U.S. Patent #588920 for an improvement in mouth-harmonicas, submitted by Jacob Hohner.

This sheet music is for the song “A Little Bit Independent,” with lyrics by Edgar Leslie and music by Joe Burke. It was published by Donaldson, Douglas and Gumbile Inc. in New York, New York, in 1935. The cover notes that the music contains an “additional Chorus for Piano Accordion arranged by Pietro Deiro.” The cover features an inset photograph of Ken Sparnon, who “successfully featured” the song with his orchestra. The rest of the cover is yellow and cream with a profile drawing of a woman.

Kenneth H. Sparnon (1895-1972) was a pianist, organist, trombonist, and arranger who performed in vaudeville and in movie theater stage shows. He was also music director of radio stations in Syracuse and Rochester, New York and provided consultant services to radio music directors as an employee of the Broadcast Music Inc.

This violin bow was made by Glasser Manufacturing Company in New York, New York, late 1970s. This bow was sold with a 1/16 size Suzuki violin (Cat. #2014.0181.04). It is stamped:

GLASSER

This bow features U. S. Patent #3456544, dated July 22, 1969 by Leon Glasser, for a musical instrument bow made of reinforced plastic.