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 2316 items.
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Gonzales Flamenco Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Gonzales in Madrid, Spain around 1867-1892. This six course guitar (6x1) has a spruce top, Spanish cypress back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, and mahogany neck. It bears the label: “Premiado por la Sociedad Matritense en 1866. [/] yen la Exposicion de Zaragoza de 1868. [/] GUITARRERIA UNIVERSAL. [/] [medallions and symbols] [/] HIJOS DE GONZALEZ [/] PREMIADO.CON LA MEDALLA DE 1st CLASE, EN LA EXPOSICION UNIVERSAL DE PARIS DE 1867 [/] Carretas, 33 [/] MADRID [/] ANO DE 18.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1867-1892
- maker
- Gonzales
- ID Number
- MI*095565
- accession number
- 26981
- catalog number
- 095565
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Gütter & Sons Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by H.F. Gütter & Sons of Markneukirchen, Germany around 1800-1850. It is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top and maple back and sides. Markneukirchen was the center of the Vogtland, Germany music industry for the export of musical instruments to the United States in the late 19th century – early 20th. The guitar bears the label: “H.F. Gütter & Söhne [/] in Neukirchen im Voigtland [/] a Sachsan.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1800-1850
- maker
- H. F. Gutter & Sons
- ID Number
- MI*312916
- accession number
- 64657
- catalog number
- 312916
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Zoerner Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Armin Zoerner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania around 1896-1898. It is a six course (6x1) guitar, serial #2110, with a rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck with a machine head. Zoerner is listed in the Philadelphia city directory as a musical instrument maker from 1896-1988 at 4314 Third Street. Around 1897, Zoerner joined M.J. Betz formed the Concord Zither Co. at the same address.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1896-1898
- maker
- Zoerner, Armin
- ID Number
- MI*312918
- accession number
- 64657
- catalog number
- 312918
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Longman & Broderip Keyed English Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This keyed English guitar was made by Longman & Broderip of London, England around 1783-1785. Francis Broderip joined James Longman around 1775 and the two were in business until 1798. This guitar is a six course (2x3, 2x2, 2x1) guitar with a spruce top and maple back and sides. The guitar has a watch-key tuning mechanism, and a key mechanism that activates hammers inside the soundbox to strike the strings upwards through holes in the soundhole rose. This key mechanism was patented by London luthier, Christian Claus in 1783.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- prior attribution
- 1775-1785
- date made
- 1783-1785
- maker
- Longman & Broderip
- ID Number
- MI*324845
- accession number
- 69366
- catalog number
- 324845
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
French Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by an unknown maker in France around 1835-1865. It is a six course (6x1) guitar with spruce top, veneered bird's-eye maple back and sides, painted back of a fortune-telling scene, machine head, and a very unusual bridge comprised of individual adjustable metal screws.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1835-1865
- ID Number
- MI*326752
- accession number
- 71810
- catalog number
- 326752
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
American Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by an unknown maker in the United States in 1854. It is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top and rosewood back and sides. This guitar was submitted for patent by William B. Tilton in 1854. The patent is for a device which is attached at the foot of the guitar to stretch the strings for improved sound production (U.S. Patent #10380).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1854
- ID Number
- MI*330804
- accession number
- 88881
- catalog number
- 330804
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Martin & Coupa Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Martin & Coupa of New York, New York around 1840-1841. Christian Freidrich Martin’s guitar manufacturing company made guitars in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and sold many of them through his shops in New York. Martin had a number of associations and sold guitars with labels such as “Martin and Schatz,” “Martin and Bruno,” and “Martin and Coupa.” This guitar bears the printed label: “MARTIN & COUPA [/] Guitar manufacturers [/] 385 Broadway [/] up Stairs [/] have always on hand the largest assortment of Guitars [/] that can be found in the United States.” John Coupa was a prominent guitar instructor and was contracted with C.F. Martin to sell guitars under the label “Martin and Coupa.” This is a six course (6x1) guitar with a spruce top, bird's-eye maple veneered mahogany back and sides, and a machine head.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- prior attribution
- 1850
- date made
- 1850-1860
- 1840-1841
- maker
- Martin & Coupa
- ID Number
- MI*378846
- accession number
- 145343
- catalog number
- 378846
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lyre Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made in Italy in the 19th century by an unknown maker. It is a six course (6x1) lyre-shaped guitar with a pine top, maple back, black lacquer sides, with two circular sound holes and a flat bottom. This popular “parlor” instrument was also known in France as "lyre anacréontique" and in England as "Apollo lyre."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1800-1899
- ID Number
- MI*378923
- catalog number
- 378923
- accession number
- 147093
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Treble Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by an unknown maker late 19th – early 20th century. It is a four course (4x2) treble guitar with a spruce top, simulated painted wood back and sides, with a machine head.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MI*380458
- catalog number
- 380458
- accession number
- 153000
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Derazey Guitar
- Description (Brief)
- This guitar was made by Derazey in Mirecourt, France around 1838-1842. Honoré (Jean Joseph) Derazey worked in various workshops in Mirecourt and Paris and is best known as a maker of violins. This six course (6x1) guitar bears the label: “Fabrique de Derazey, [/] A MIRECOURT” and has a spruce top, bird's-eye maple veneered spruce back, bird's-eye maple sides, and machine head.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1838-1842
- maker
- Derazey
- ID Number
- MI*380625
- catalog number
- 380625
- accession number
- 156180
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center