This friction harp was made by J. C. Deagan, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, about 1920. It is comprised of a set of 25 tuned aluminum tubes that fit into a wood strip with metal thumb screws to hold the tubes in place. The wood strip is supported by a collapsible metal frame. Accessioned with a pair of tan cotton gloves, a jar of rosin, and wooden storage box.

John Calhoun Deagan (1853-1934), a first generation American of Irish descent, was a musician, inventor, and musical instrument manufacturer. He began making musical instruments in 1898 in St. Louis, Missouri. By 1913, his firm was incorporated in Chicago as J.C. Deagan Bells, Inc., and three years later would become J.C. Deagan, Inc.