This violoncello was made by Charles and Samuel Thompson in London, about 1780. It is a ¼ size violoncello, made of a table of pine slab cut on the bass side, joined to quarter-cut pine on the treble. The interior has square linings and ribs finished with a toothed plane. The lower bout ribs are joined at the bottom block with notches at the top and bottom of the joint for centering of the model . There is an original printed label inside the instrument:
CHA: & SAM THOMPSON, in St. Paul’s Church Yard L O N D O N
The brothers Charles and Samuel Thompson were the successors of their father, Robert, who worked in St. Paul’s Church Yard around 1740-1769. The brothers continued the business (ca. 1770-1790), making and selling instruments of commercial quality made from common wood, with painted ink purfling and dark reddish-brown opaque varnish.
This organette was made by an unknown maker in the United States, around 1880-1890. It is an Organita model, hand cranked vacuum system, with 14 freed reeds. Accessioned with 17 paper music strips (Cat. 1991.0132.03 - .19).
This New England Bass Viol was made by Hervey Dawes in Windsor, Massachusetts, in 1793. It is made of a table of two pieces of yellow pine, back of one piece of slab-cut maple, ribs of similar plain maple, original maple neck, peg-box and scroll, and varnish of opaque reddish-brown color. Inside this instrument has a handwritten ink label:
Made By Hervey Dawes Windsor Mafs. 1793
[* 1793 in pencil]
In style and execution, the instrument displays very well refined woodworking skills and attention to aesthetic detail. In place of inlayed purfling, the edge is ornamental with alternating yellow and black dots of ink concluding with an inlaid brass pinhead in each of the corners of the table and back. The delicately shaped neck-foot is complemented by an ornamental carved peg-box. The unusual scroll is formed by a lathe-turned series of four volutes in diminishing diameters glued in place on the peg-box. In other respects, this bass viol is typical in construction: i.e., the ribs are inlaid into both back and table, with the neck and top-block fashioned in one piece allowing the body to be constructed “in the air” without specific templates and formal interior mold. The long extended “f” holes have upper and lower wings that remain connected to the table, and the body is without interior linings. The small corner blocks, shaped inside in a half-circle, were glued to the rib miters after the rib and back assembly had been completed.
The modern term for this instrument is church bass. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this instrument was also known as the American bass viol, New England bass viol, or Yankee bass viol. These church basses were used in churches and meeting houses to provide a bass line for maintaining a consistent key by New England congregational singers. The church bass was also used by popular singing groups such as the Hutchinson Family singers.
This small violin was made in 1875 by Friedrich Sander for his three-year-old nephew, Henry Charles Sander Jr. Henry's father was a violinist with the Newark Symphony Orchestra, and he began instructing the young Henry on this instrument. Henry eventually gave the violin to his five-year-old daughter, Lorentine, and she bequeathed it to her daughter Lorae, the donor of the violin to the Smithsonian
collections.
Very cleanly made, the violin bears nicely finished edge work throughout and carefully inlaid purfling of maple. The neck and top block are in one piece. Spruce linings are fitted into the instrument's corners without corner blocks. The violin is made of a table of two-piece spruce, two-piece back of maple with even, medium-fine descending figure, ribs of similar maple, an original neck, pegbox and scroll, and a stained black beech wood fingerboard.
This music strip was made by an unknown maker in the United States, around 1880-1890. It is a music strip (6 feet long) - "Six Button Kid.” This strip can be played in 14-note organettes.
As indicated in an 1885 Catalog of Music for the Orguinette, the price of music was 4 cents per foot. The length of the music strip indicated above, is from the catalog.
This sheet music is for the song "Mogulesco's March" from Homon der Zweiter, arranged for piano by H. A. Russotto and licensed to Katzenlenbogen & Rabinowitz. It was published by Hebrew Publishing Company in New York, New York, in 1898). Sigmund Mogulesko [also spelled Mogulesco] (1858-1914) was a singer, actor, and composer in the Yiddish Theater in New York City.
This music strip was made by an unknown maker in the United States, around 1880-1890. It is a music strip (6 ¾ feet long) - "Oh! Susanna,” by Stephen Foster. This strip can be played in 14-note organettes.
As indicated in an 1885 Catalog of Music for the Orguinette, the price of music was 4 cents per foot. The length of the music strip indicated above, is from the catalog.
This sheet music is for the songs "Krisahme" and "Warenikes mit Griben," by Louis Friedsell. Theses songs were published by Hebrew Publishing Company in New York, New York, in 1921.
This trumpet was made by Henderson N. White in Cleveland, Ohio about 1931. It is a B-flat soprano trumpet, “King Liberty Model,” serial #134288. This trumpet is made of burnished gold and sterling silver with elaborate engravings throughout and has 3 piston valves with mother-of-pearl buttons. This trumpet is engraved:
KING LIBERTY MODEL MADE BY THE H.N. WHITE CO. CLEV,D O
and on the bell:
KING MADE BY H.N. WHITE CLEVD.O.
Only 100 soprano trumpets were made by Henderson H. White as promotional items for musical instrument dealers and performers.
This sheet music is for the song "Sol A Mol Shoin Sholem Sain," by Solomon Small [Smulewitz] and arranged by Louis Friedsel. It was published by Hebrew Publishing Company in New York, New York, in 1921. The cover features an image of the composer Solomon Small [Smulewitz] (1868-1943).
Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys. side 1: It's Too Late Now To Worry Anymore; side 2: Wait For the Light To Shine (Columbia 37045). 78 rpm. This coupling was initially released on Okeh 6745
This sheet music is for the song "Mutter und Kind," with music by Joseph M. Rumshinsky and lyrics by L. Gilrod. It was published by Hebrew Publishing Company in New York, New York, in 1913. This song was featured in the play Blinde Männer, by Max Gebel. The cover features an image of American actress and singer Jennie Goldstein (1896-1960), who performed this song in the play.
side 1: Chick Webb and his Orchestra with vocal chorus by Ella Fitzgerald. A-Tisket, A-Tasket; side 2: Chick Webb and his Orchestra. Liza (Decca 1840). 78 rpm.
Over the course of her 60–year career, Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) became known to fans and colleagues as "The First Lady of Song." Her rise to international fame as a jazz and popular singer coincided with the rise of an American entertainment industry that brought music to millions through concerts, sound recordings, film, radio, and television. In 1938, Fitzgerald came up with the idea for song called "A–Tisket, A–Tasket," basing her lyric on a 19th–century nursery rhyme. Her 1938 Decca recording of the song in time became a million–seller.