This bow was made by Oscar Schmidt, International, Inc. in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1963. It is a ukelin bow, made of a round birch dowel with fitted wooden head, both painted red, maple frog painted black and an accompanying black plastic button, “hair” of white rayon ribbon 9 mm. in width, held in place with fiber plates and metal screws. Accessioned with ukelin (Cat. MI.74.09)
Ukelins from Oscar Schmidt International were marketed by door-to-door commission salesmen from 1926 until production was terminated in 1964. This instrument, in an excellent state of preservation, is accompanied with a bow and playing instruction booklet.
Glen Peterson, the last President of Oscar Schmidt, wrote to the Smithsonian in the 1980s: "Ukelins, to the best of my knowledge, were for years made from any kind of excess scrap, drop-offs, or whatever could be found around the basic process of making zithers and/or Autoharps. When I came on the scene (1963) the tops and bottoms were made from waste 1/4" Minnesota basswood veneer that had been found unfit for Autoharps. The frames were of rock maple - always top quality." He further explains the advertisement of incorporating Philippine mahogany in making ukelins was inaccurate information.
