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 57 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
“My Truly, Truly Fair” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “My Truly, Truly Fair” that was written and composed by Bob Merrill. Santly-Joy Inc. of New York, New York published this sheet music in 1951. The dark blue cover has a large central photograph of Guy Mitchell, who recorded and featured the song.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1951
- publisher
- Santly-Joy, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1983.0424.183
- accession number
- 1983.0424
- catalog number
- 1983.0424.183
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Libba (Elizabeth) Cotten's Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by C.F. Martin Co. of Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1950. It is a six course (6x1) guitar, Auditorium Orchestra model #000-18, serial #114993, with a natural spruce top, mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, pearl position dots and white side dots, and nickel-plated tuning machines.
- The guitar was owned and used by Libba (Elizabeth) Cotton. Libba taught herself to play the banjo and the guitar as a child, holding the instruments upside down because she was left handed. “… I learned the banjo upside down because I couldn’t change them (the strings) because it belonged to my brother.” By the age of twelve she had composed “Freight Train.” At fifteen Libba was already married. Her religious convictions prompted her to abandon musical pursuits in favor of raising her family and serving God. Elizabeth Cotton moved to Washington, DC in the 1930s where she found employment in the home of the musical Seeger family. Hearing music around the house where she was working, Libba was encouraged to pursue a professional career in music that included recordings, concerts and national tours. In 1984 she was awarded the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, and in 1985 she received a Grammy Award for her album “Elizabeth Cotton Live.” Her syncopated, lyrical blues music continues to live through a wide range of performers who have been influenced by her work.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1950
- user
- Cotten, Elizabeth
- maker
- C. F. Martin and Company
- ID Number
- 1988.0425.01
- accession number
- 1988.0425
- catalog number
- 1988.0425.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sound Recording
- Description
- Elvis Aron Presley (1935—1977) is one of the best-known and most influential figures in popular music. Throughout his career, Elvis incorporated pop, gospel, country, and blues elements into creating his trademark style and earning his mainstream success.
- This recording is the first of Elvis's many albums that he made for RCA. The company took a major risk in releasing a full album from this new "rock & roll" artist, as teenagers were more likely to buy 45 rpm singles than a full LP. The Elvis Presley album included recording sessions Elvis did for RCA and five previously unissued songs recorded earlier with Sun Records. After the album's release in March 1956, Elvis Presley eventually went on to become the first rock & roll album to reach number one on national record sales charts, and RCA's first million-dollar-earning pop album.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1956
- recording artist
- Presley, Elvis
- manufacturer
- RCA Victor
- ID Number
- 2000.3053.1039
- nonaccession number
- 2000.3053
- catalog number
- 2000.3053.1039
- label number
- LPM-1254
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“If the World Were Full of Durantes” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music for the song “If the World Were Full of Durantes” was written by Eddie Cantor and Charlie Tobias. The sheet music was published by Tobias and Lewis of New York, New York in 1951. The cover features a dark red and white collage of photos of Jimmy Durante. Durante was an early American multi-media star, performing in vaudeville, radio, stage, television, and movies from the 1920s-1960s.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1951
- composer; lyricist
- Cantor, Eddie
- Tobias, Charlie
- performer
- Durante, Jimmy
- publisher
- Tobias and Lewis
- ID Number
- 1981.0121.01
- accession number
- 1981.0121
- catalog number
- 1981.0121.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Won't You Have an Ice Cream Soda with Me” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “Won't You Have an Ice Cream Soda with Me.” The song was written by Pauline M. Arnold, the music was composed by Gladys M. Turner, and the sheet music was published by Pauline M. Arnold of Burlington, Vermont in 1954. The cover features an image of a pink ice cream soda with two straws sitting on a pink striped table cloth.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1954
- publisher
- Pauline M. Arnold
- ID Number
- 1982.0745.04
- accession number
- 1982.0745
- catalog number
- 1982.0745.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“If I Had a Million Dollars” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “If I Had a Million Dollars.” The lyrics were written by Pearl Thompson and the music was composed by Pearl Thompson and Al Kostin, and the sheet music was published by Thompson Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois in 1953. The cream colored cover features a central image of two men and two women labeled, “The Meadowlarks.” The sheet music was sold for forty cents.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1953
- ID Number
- 1982.0745.05
- accession number
- 1982.0745
- catalog number
- 1982.0745.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Goodbye to Rome (Arrivederci, Roma)” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “Goodbye to Rome (Arrivederci, Roma) from the movie “The Seven Hills of Rome.” The song’s lyrics were written by Carl Sigman and the music was composed by Renato Rascel. The sheet music was published by Hill and Range Songs, Inc. of New York City in 1955. The cover features a large central illustration of Mario Lanza, the film’s star, and a photograph on the side of Marisa Allasio. The sheet music was originally sold for 50 cents.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1955
- lyricist
- Sigman, Carl
- composer
- Rascel, Renato
- publisher
- Reg Connelly Music, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1983.0313.11
- accession number
- 1983.0313
- catalog number
- 1983.0313.11
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“Circus on Parade” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “Circus on Parade.” The song’s lyrics were written by Jon Arthur and Billy Collins, and the music was composed by Albert Van Dam. The song was published by the Beacon Music Company, owned by Joe Davis, around 1951. The red and white cover features an image of Big Jon Arthur, the host of a children’s radio show called “Big Jon & Sparkie.”The show consisted of stories and songs featuring Sparkie, Benny the Bug, and Twinkle, all depicted on the cover.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1951
- ID Number
- 1983.0424.002
- accession number
- 1983.0424
- catalog number
- 1983.0424.002
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
“The Thing” Sheet Music
- Description (Brief)
- This sheet music is for the song “The Thing” that was written and composed by Charles R. Grean and published by Hollis Music, Inc. of New York City in 1950. The cover features a green geometric pattern and an inset photograph of Phil Harris holding a record. Harris introduced and featured the song, recording it for RCA Victor Records on RCA record number 20-3968 which lasted 14 weeks on the Billboard charts, and hit #1.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1950
- recording artist
- Harris, Phil
- publisher
- Hollis Music, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1983.0424.031
- accession number
- 1983.0424
- catalog number
- 1983.0424.031
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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