Music & Musical Instruments

Jesse Fuller's Silvertone Guitar

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. 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. In various ways, our collections find expression in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and in other public programs.

Resource Type: Photographs

Henry Horenstein with Maybelle Carter

Photographer Henry Horenstein stands with Mother Maybelle Carter for photograph.Currently not on view
Description
Photographer Henry Horenstein stands with Mother Maybelle Carter for photograph.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
Associated Name
Horenstein, Henry
Carter, Mother Maybelle
maker
Horenstein, Henry
Rosenburg, Lewis
ID Number
2003.0169.093
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.093

Ruth Howell

Black and white photograph of violinist Ruth Howell Aubrey (1908-2001), taken by Josephine Rossi in New York City. Marked on the back of the photograph:PORTRAIT BYJOSEPHINE ROSSIHOTEL BUCKINGHAM101 WEST 57th STREETNEW YORK CITYPHONE CIRCLE 6-1500Currently not on view
Description (Brief)

Black and white photograph of violinist Ruth Howell Aubrey (1908-2001), taken by Josephine Rossi in New York City. Marked on the back of the photograph:

PORTRAIT BY
JOSEPHINE ROSSI
HOTEL BUCKINGHAM
101 WEST 57th STREET
NEW YORK CITY
PHONE CIRCLE 6-1500

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1940s
ID Number
2014.3112.03
nonaccession number
2014.3112
catalog number
2014.3112.03

Tootsie at Closing Time

Tootsie [Hattie Louise Tatum Bess, d. 1978] took out her whistle at closing time. If that didn't work to get customers out the door, she used a jeweled hair pin--given to her by singer Charlie Pride--to give them a prod.
Description
Tootsie [Hattie Louise Tatum Bess, d. 1978] took out her whistle at closing time. If that didn't work to get customers out the door, she used a jeweled hair pin--given to her by singer Charlie Pride--to give them a prod. Her contribution to country music has been immortalized in song. "She's Known the greats and nearly greats and some that never made it./If there's a thing of paying dues, well Tootsie's surely paid it. She's got all of their pictures hanging all around./But, what's Tootsie gonna do when they tear the Ryman down?" "What's Tootsie Gonna Do (When They Tear the Ryman Down)" By Bill Sterling and John E. Denny
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
Associated Name
Bess, "Tootsie" Hattie Louise Tatum
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.106
catalog number
2003.0169.106
accession number
2003.0169

Tony Price, atomic artist playing the atomic gongs with "Revelations Nine" in front. All materials were purchased from a scrap yard, leftovers of the weapons energy system at Los Alamos, birthplace of the atomic bomb. Tom Law assisting on the guitar. El Rancho, NM. 1970

With her camera, Lisa Law documented history in the heart of the counterculture revolution of the 1960s as she lived it, as a participant, an agent of change and a member of the broader culture.
Description
With her camera, Lisa Law documented history in the heart of the counterculture revolution of the 1960s as she lived it, as a participant, an agent of change and a member of the broader culture. She recorded this unconventional time of Anti-War demonstrations in California, communes, Love-Ins, peace marches and concerts, as well as her family life as she became a wife and mother. The photographs were collected by William Yeingst and Shannon Perich in a cross-unit collecting collaboration. Together they selected over two hundred photographs relevant to photographic history, cultural history, domestic life and social history.
Law’s portraiture and concert photographs include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Lovin Spoonful and Peter, Paul and Mary. She also took several of Janis Joplin and her band Big Brother and the Holding Company, including the photograph used to create the poster included in the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum’s exhibition 1001 Days and Nights in American Art. Law and other members of the Hog Farm were involved in the logistics of setting up the well-known musical extravaganza, Woodstock. Her photographs include the teepee poles going into the hold of the plane, a few concert scenes and amenities like the kitchen and medical tent. Other photographs include peace rallies and concerts in Haight-Ashbury, Coretta Scott King speaking at an Anti-War protest and portraits of Allen Ginsburg and Timothy Leary. From her life in New Mexico the photographs include yoga sessions with Yogi Bhajan, bus races, parades and other public events. From life on the New Buffalo Commune, there are many pictures of her family and friends taken during meal preparation and eating, farming, building, playing, giving birth and caring for children.
Ms. Law did not realize how important her photographs were while she was taking them. It was not until after she divorced her husband, left the farm for Santa Fe and began a career as a photographer that she realized the depth of history she recorded. Today, she spends her time writing books, showing her photographs in museums all over the United States and making documentaries. In 1990, her video documentary, “Flashing on the Sixties,” won several awards.
A selection of photographs was featured in the exhibition A Visual Journey: Photographs by Lisa Law, 1964–1971, at the National Museum of American History October 1998-April 1999.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970
date printed
1998
maker
Law, Lisa
ID Number
1998.0139.074
catalog number
1998.0139.074
accession number
1998.0139

Osborne Brothers

After performing individually with Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, and other headliners in the 1940s, Sonny (b.1937) and Bobby (b. 1931) Osborne became one of the most popular and innovative bluegrass groups of the postwar era.
Description
After performing individually with Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, and other headliners in the 1940s, Sonny (b.1937) and Bobby (b. 1931) Osborne became one of the most popular and innovative bluegrass groups of the postwar era. Experimenting in the mid-1960s, they added piano, steel guitar, and electric instruments. While these ventures angered traditionalists, their innovative sound attracted a new younger audience to country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.040
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.040

Carol Lee Cooper

Carol Lee Cooper (b.1942) provided vocal backup with her Carol Lee Singers for almost all the Grand Ole Opry acts beginning in the 1960s. Often without sheet music to work from and no time for a rehearsal, she devised a special system of hand signals for conducting the singers.
Description
Carol Lee Cooper (b.1942) provided vocal backup with her Carol Lee Singers for almost all the Grand Ole Opry acts beginning in the 1960s. Often without sheet music to work from and no time for a rehearsal, she devised a special system of hand signals for conducting the singers. On the dressing table is a lyric book in which she wrote the words of the songs and made notes. The photographer can be seen on the far right in the mirror.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.044
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.044

DeFord Bailey

Deford Bailey spent fifteen years as a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry (1926-1941). In that time he established himself as one of the show's most popular performers and an influential harmonica player.
Description
Deford Bailey spent fifteen years as a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry (1926-1941). In that time he established himself as one of the show's most popular performers and an influential harmonica player. As a master of blues, jazz, and old-time country, Bailey was a vital link between older and more modern music styles. In 1974, he returned to the Opry stage as part of the "Old Timers' Reunion." He is most well-known for "Pan American Blues," a harmonica piece that sounds like a passing locomotive.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.043
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.043

Charlie Monroe

Charlie Monroe, Bill Monroe's older brother, helped lay the groundwork for bluegrass music during their few years together. The brothers separated in 1938, after recording for only two years. Charlie continued to perform until he retired in 1957.
Description
Charlie Monroe, Bill Monroe's older brother, helped lay the groundwork for bluegrass music during their few years together. The brothers separated in 1938, after recording for only two years. Charlie continued to perform until he retired in 1957. Thanks to Jimmy Martin's persuasion, Monroe re-emerged in 1972 and performed again until his death in 1975.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
Associated Name
Monroe, Charlie
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.105
catalog number
2003.0169.105
accession number
2003.0169

Holy Modal Rounders

The Holy Modal Rounders, a folk/country band, was formed in 1961 by guitarist Steve Weber (right) and banjoist and fiddler Peter Stampfel in New York City's Greenwich Villiage.
Description
The Holy Modal Rounders, a folk/country band, was formed in 1961 by guitarist Steve Weber (right) and banjoist and fiddler Peter Stampfel in New York City's Greenwich Villiage. The popular music label, Rounder Records, owes its name to this innovative and controversial band.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.032
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.032

Mack Magaha

Mach Magaha (1929-2003) was a sought-after bluegrass fiddler. A member of Don Reno and Red Smiley's Tennessee Cut-Ups in the 1950s and 1960s, he next worked with Porter Wagoner for nearly twenty years.Currently not on view
Description
Mach Magaha (1929-2003) was a sought-after bluegrass fiddler. A member of Don Reno and Red Smiley's Tennessee Cut-Ups in the 1950s and 1960s, he next worked with Porter Wagoner for nearly twenty years.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.037
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.037

Stoney and Wilma Lee Cooper

The Coopers welcomed Henry Horestein in their home, a great example of the accessibility of stars just thirty years ago. Wilma Lee (Leigh Leary, b. 1921) and Stoney Cooper (Dale Troy, 1918-1977) ranked as one of the great husband-wife teams in country music.
Description
The Coopers welcomed Henry Horestein in their home, a great example of the accessibility of stars just thirty years ago. Wilma Lee (Leigh Leary, b. 1921) and Stoney Cooper (Dale Troy, 1918-1977) ranked as one of the great husband-wife teams in country music. Their musical careers helped to bridge older and newer styles.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.038
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.038

Tex Ritter and Fans

Fans stand in line waiting for Tex Ritter's autograph.Currently not on view
Description
Fans stand in line waiting for Tex Ritter's autograph.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.065
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.065

Ernest Tubb signing autographs

For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television.
Description
For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television. No artist toured as much, or for as long as Ernest Tubb, who worked 150 to 200 shows each year between the early 1960s and 1982. No artist was kinder to his fans, and no fans were more loyal to their star. Ernest Tubb had one national fan club with a single president for its entire existence between 1944 and its deactivation in the early 1990s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.086
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.086

Bashful Brother Oswald

For nearly 60 years, Breecher Ray "Bashful Brother Oswald" Kirby (1911-2002) was one of the most influential and talented dobro players in country music.Currently not on view
Description
For nearly 60 years, Breecher Ray "Bashful Brother Oswald" Kirby (1911-2002) was one of the most influential and talented dobro players in country music.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.048
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.048

Ruth Howell

Black and white photograph of violinist Ruth Howell Aubrey (1908-2001), taken by Josephine Rossi in New York City.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of violinist Ruth Howell Aubrey (1908-2001), taken by Josephine Rossi in New York City.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1940s
ID Number
2014.3112.04
nonaccession number
2014.3112
catalog number
2014.3112.04

Grant Turner

Known to millions as both the "Voice" and the "Dean" of the Grand Ole Opry, Grant Turner (1912-1991) worked for WSM radio for nearly 50 years.Currently not on view
Description
Known to millions as both the "Voice" and the "Dean" of the Grand Ole Opry, Grant Turner (1912-1991) worked for WSM radio for nearly 50 years.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.056
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.056

Ernest Tubb performing

Henry Horenstein's photographs of fans swarming Ernest Tubb (1914-1984) was a familiar scene. Fans had many opportunities to see, hear, and hug Tubb. Between the early 1960s and 1982, he worked 150 to 200 shows each year.Currently not on view
Description
Henry Horenstein's photographs of fans swarming Ernest Tubb (1914-1984) was a familiar scene. Fans had many opportunities to see, hear, and hug Tubb. Between the early 1960s and 1982, he worked 150 to 200 shows each year.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.083
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.083

Accordian Player, Louisiana

The first accordion was built in Germany in 1822. It took close to one hundred years before it was introduced into country music.Currently not on view
Description
The first accordion was built in Germany in 1822. It took close to one hundred years before it was introduced into country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1977
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.027
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.027

Bill Monroe

The country music sound created by Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys starting in 1938, would become a new style of country music named "bluegrass."Currently not on view
Description
The country music sound created by Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys starting in 1938, would become a new style of country music named "bluegrass."
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
Associated Name
Monroe, Bill
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.104
catalog number
2003.0169.104
accession number
2003.0169

Couple Cooking on a Grill near their Camping Tent

Some fans traveled great distances to participate in music festivals, and would camp nearby. This couple brought a grill to make a meal or two.Currently not on view
Description
Some fans traveled great distances to participate in music festivals, and would camp nearby. This couple brought a grill to make a meal or two.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.097
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.097

Tex Ritter and Fans

A Tex Ritter fan holds a 45 RPM record as Ritter signs a photograph.Currently not on view
Description
A Tex Ritter fan holds a 45 RPM record as Ritter signs a photograph.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.064
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.064

Lilly Brothers

The Lilly Brothers began as an old-time duet on radio stations in West Virginia, but eventually moved into bluegrass with the addition of a banjo.
Description
The Lilly Brothers began as an old-time duet on radio stations in West Virginia, but eventually moved into bluegrass with the addition of a banjo. They are credited with bringing the bluegrass sound to New England and the Boston area, with lengthy stints at the Hillbilly Ranch from 1952 into the 1970s.
Location
Currently not on view
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.062
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.062

Studebaker Band

This black and white photograph is of the Studebaker Factory Band at Erskine Park, South Bend, Indiana, on June 27, 1925. In a brown frame. Typed on the margins of the image:PRESENTED BY * MR. A. R. ERSKINETO * ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,MR. BERT CLAEYS.STUDEBAKER BAND, M. P.
Description

This black and white photograph is of the Studebaker Factory Band at Erskine Park, South Bend, Indiana, on June 27, 1925. In a brown frame. Typed on the margins of the image:

PRESENTED BY * MR. A. R. ERSKINE
TO * ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
MR. BERT CLAEYS.
STUDEBAKER BAND, M. P. KELLY, DIRECTOR - ERSKINE PARK, JUNE 27, 1925.
(MAYOR SEEBIRT AND MR. ERSKINE AT LEFT)

The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was founded in 1852 in South Bend, Indiana, originally making wagons, carriages, and harnesses. The company began making automobiles in 1902 and ceased automobile production in 1963. This photograph is emblematic of organizations and groups created by American manufacturers to provide recreational opportunities to improve employee commitment and morale. Music groups would perform for their company’s employees, at local parades, competitions, and other company supported events

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925
ID Number
2015.0255.10
accession number
2015.0255
catalog number
2015.0255.10

Ernest Tubb surrounded by fans

For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television.
Description
For much of his career, Ernest Tubb, the "Texas Troubadour" was considered the ultimate honky tonk vocalist and stylist. Inspired by Jimmie Rodgers in the 1920s, Tubb sustained a musical career that at times also branched into film and television. No artist toured as much, or for as long as Ernest Tubb, who worked 150 to 200 shows each year between the early 1960s and 1982. No artist was kinder to his fans, and no fans were more loyal to their star. Ernest Tubb had one national fan club with a single president for its entire existence between 1944 and its deactivation in the early 1990s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.085
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.085

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