Music & Musical Instruments

This gusle was made by an unknown maker in Montenegro, Yugoslavia, probably 19th century. It has a table of hide stretched over the “spoon” body and fastened with 28 hardwood pins, body, neck and head carved of a single piece of beechwood, one beechwood tuning peg. The instrument is not varnished.

A gusle is a fiddle fashioned from one piece of wood forming a spoon-shaped body with an elongated narrow neck terminating in a carving of a symbolic figure or animal. It is usually made of maple with a stretched skin forming the table. It is typically a single-string instrument, but occasionally a gusle may be made with two strings.

The gusle is commonly used to accompany inspirational ballads. Essentially a poetic storyteller of events, each performer ornaments the music and stylizes the narration of the basic story, often recounting battles or deeds of war heroes. Before each performance the player positions the bridge on the animal hide table diagonally to the string and tunes the instrument to his own voice . The geometric pattern cut into the neck and the pyramid-shaped finial of the carved figure on this instrument are features common to gusles of the mountainous Sandzak region of Montenegro, the southwestern republic of the former Yugoslavia.

This music roll was made by Aeolian Organ and Music Company, in New York, New York, around 1895-1900. It is Roll #702, playable in a Celestina or Mandolina model roller organ. This roll sold for 90 cents. The tune list for this roll is as follows:

Watch on the Rhine
Deutschland über alles
Das Zerbrochene Ringlein
Die Drei Reiter
Die Gute Kamerad
Der Tannenbaum

This sousaphone was made by J.W. Pepper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1898-1902. It is a BB-flat sousaphone, serial #46725, made of brass with 3 Perinet piston valves. This instrument is engraved:

J.W. PEPPER
IMPORTER
PHILADELPHIA

James Welsh Pepper (1853-1919), was an American music publisher and musical instrument maker and importer Pepper started his business as a small print shop and teaching music lessons, in 1875. By 1877, he opened a retail store in Philadelphia, selling sheet music and musical instruments. When a second location was opened in New York in 1880, Pepper established a relationship with London-born musical instrument maker, Henry Distin, to manufacture instruments for sale in his shops. By 1886, Pepper had expanded his business with a shop in Chicago. In 1910, Pepper discontinued manufacturing instruments but continued to import instruments from Europe until the beginning of WWI. After Pepper’s death in 1919, the focus of the business was on music publishing.

This music box stand was made by Regina Music Box Co. in Rahway, New Jersey, about 1898-1900. It is on castors, with two doors in the front revealing 6 sliding drawers for storing discs. Accessioned with Regina Disc-Changing Orchestral Corona model No. 33 music box. (Cat. MI.72.25)

This harmonica was made by Richter in Germany, about 1900. It is a Diatonic harmonica in the key of F, with 10 holes and 20 reeds. It has a wooden comb with metal cover plates attached with screws to the top and bottom. Accessioned with a period carboard box. The harmonica is embossed:

Richter
F

This harmonica was previously owned and used by American classical harmonica musician, arranger, and composer, Stanley (Stan) Harper (1921-2016). Harper performed nationally on radio, television, theater, and film. He made several recordings for Decca and Coral.

This music roll was made by Mechanical Orguinette Company, in New York, New York, around 1895-1900. It is Roll #4013, playable in a Celestina or Mandolina model roller organ. This roll sold for $1.00. The tune list for this roll is as follows:

Yankee Doodle
When Johnny comes marching home
We won’t go home till morning
Upidee

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, undetermined date. It is an Up To Date Surprise model in the key of G, with 10 single holes and 20 reeds. This harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates attached to the top and bottom with screws. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The harmonica is engraved:

UP TO DATE SURPRISE
REGISTERED PATENT APPLIED FOR

This music roll was made by Aeolian Organ and Music Company, in New York, New York, around 1895-1900. It is Roll #4087, playable in a Celestina or Mandolina model roller organ. This roll sold for 75 cents. The tune list for this roll is as follows:

Down went McGinty - Flynn

This sheet music for the song “By the Watermelon Vine, Lindy Lou” was written and composed by Thomas S. Allen. The sheet music was published by Walter Jacobs in 1904. The cover features an image of a black man and lady sitting on a couch-like watermelon slice in a watermelon patch. “Coon songs” such as this became a popular genre around 1890-1900 as the Great Migration resulted in a new class of urban blacks who became stereotyped out of fear.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by brothers William Starmer (1872-1957) and Frederick Starmer (1878-1962) Born and raised in England, the brothers moved with their family to New York, William in 1898 and Frederick in 1899. The Starmer Brothers flourished until 1929. William became a U.S. citizen in 1924, while Frederick returned to England in 1929.

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, around 1907.

MARINE BAND
M. HOHNER
U.S.A. PATENT AUG. 24TH 1897

This harmonica features U.S. Patent #588920, dated August 24, 1897, for an improvement in mouth-harmonicas, submitted by Jacob Hohner.