A Sampling of Recent Acquisitions
at the National Music Museum

NMM 14353. Viola made in Richard Weichold/August Paulus workshop, Dresden, April 1893. Serial no. 101. Stelzner model. Gift of James Christensen, North Liberty, Iowa, 2008.

James Christensen's Stelzner Research Archive

Alfred Stelzner's experimental work with the design of instruments of the violin family has been thoroughly documented by Stelzner researcher, James Christensen. An original letter handwritten by Alfred Stelzner (1892) is included in this archive, along with copies of his patents, photographs of Stelzner and extant Stelzner instruments, copies of publications by and about Stelzner, and, Christensen's own research correspondence. Gift of James Christensen, North Liberty, Iowa, 2008.

NMM 14377. Violin by C. G. Conn, Elkhart and New York City, ca. 1898-1899. Wonder model. Original case. Board of Trustees, 2009.

NMM 14385. Violoncello by Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan, March 1942. Model G 110. Batch 342. André P. and Kay Marcum Larson Fund, 2009.

NMM 14352. Spike fiddle (morin khuur), Mongolia, ca. 2007. Gift of Ted Muenster, Vermillion, South Dakota, 2008.

NMM 14355. Cornet in B-flat/A (HP) by J. W. Pepper, Philadelphia, ca. 1893. Serial no. 9533. Silver-plated with gold-plated bell interior, valve caps, and double water key. Ornately engraved over entire instrument and leadpipe. Gift of R. Mack Bettis, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 2008.

NMM 14390. Recording bass tuba in BB-flat by Frank Holton Co., Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 1935. Prototype for Mammoth Model 106 with top, short-action valves. Serial no. 118057. Ex coll.: Holton Company Reference Collection. Gift of Conn-Selmer, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana, 2008.

NMM 14400. Diatonic harmonica in C by Hohner, Trossingen, Germany, 2007. 150th Anniversary Gold Harmonica (Limited Edition). No. 104 of 150. Crystal glass comb; gold-plated, brass MS (modular system) reed plates; high-gloss, polished brass covers are gold-plated. Gift of Michael Walters, Laguna Woods, California, 2009.

NMM 14401. Diatonic harmonica in C by Hohner, Trossingen, Germany, 2007. 150th Anniversary Chrome Harmonica (Limited Edition). No. 950 of 1857. Crystal glass comb; chrome-plated, brass, MS (modular system) reed plates; high-gloss, polished brass covers are chrome-plated. Gift of Michael Walters, Laguna Woods, California, 2009.

NMM 14402. Diatonic harmonica in C by Hohner, Trossingen, Germany, 2007. 150th Anniversary Standard Edition Harmonica. No serial number. Solid, clear acrylic plastic comb; brass MS (modular system) reed plates; high-gloss, polished stainless steel covers. Gift of Michael Walters, Laguna Woods, California, 2009.

NMM 14408. Harpsichord, Naples, ca. 1530. Single manual, C/E-c3 (4 octaves), originally 1 × 8' (altered to 2 × 8' in the 17th or 18th c.). Purchase funds from the William Selz Estate, Mr. & Mrs. Clifford E. Graese Fund, and Mr. & Mrs. R. E. Rawlins Fund, 2009.

NMM 14356. Grand piano by Vincenzio Sodi, Florence, 1789. Original compass FF to g3 (5+ octaves). Fraudulently rebuilt as a three-manual harpsichord by Leopoldo Franciolini, Florence, ca. 1900. Ex coll.: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of John Koster and Jacqueline Block, Vermillion, South Dakota, 2008.

NMM 14336. Square piano, South or Central Germany, ca. 1790. FF-f3 (5 octaves). Prellmechanik with intermediate lever, without escapement. Two knee levers: buff, dampers. Gift of the Ralph K. Ritchie Family, Kent, Connecticut, 2008.

NMM 14357. Grand piano by Michael Rosenberger, Vienna, ca. 1815. FF-f4 (6 octaves). Five pedals: una corda, bassoon, dampers, dampers plus moderator, and moderator. Instrument shortened to about half its original length, but keyboard and hammer action are in nearly pristine condition. Gift of John Koster and Jacqueline Block, Vermillion, South Dakota, 2008.

NMM 14384. Electric theater organ by The Wurlitzer Company, DeKalb, Illinois, ca. 1978. Model 950-TA. Top-of-the-line electric organ employing transistor-based tone generation, Orbitz synthesizer, Leslie speaker system, and “Swingin’ Rhythm” pre-programmed accompaniment. The stained “Sable Cherry” case of Model 950-TA is built in imitation of a theater pipe organ console, and the instrument is capable of producing tones and effects suitable for church, theater, and popular music styles. The instrument was owned by Norris Groe (1912-1993), Silver Lake Township, Iowa, who enjoyed playing the instrument in his retirement. Gift of Dan and Tamie Clow, Brandon, South Dakota, in memory of Norris Groe, 2009.

NMM 14351. Tenor banjo by Ludwig & Ludwig, Chicago, ca. 1925-1933. Kingston model. Serial number 11501. Gift of John McNeill, Springfield, South Dakota, 2008.

NMM 14395. Mandolin by Orville Gibson, Kalamazoo, 1903. Style F-2 Artist model. Carved walnut body/neck with spruce top. André P. and Kay Marcum Larson Fund, 2009.

NMM 14358. Ukulele by C. F. Martin & Co., Nazareth, Pennsylvania, ca. 1934-1947. Style O. Gift of Geoffrey Rezek, Darien, Connecticut, 2008.

NMM 14359. Baritone ukulele by French American Reeds Company (Mario Maccaferri), New York, ca. 1954-1965. Gift of Geoffrey Rezek, Darien, Connecticut, 2008.

NMM 14362. Guitar by Johann G. Thieleman, Berlin, 1808. André P. & Kay Marcum Larson Fund, 2009.

NMM 14381. Resonator guitar by National-Dobro Corporation, Chicago, 1936. Duolian Style H. Serial number B223. Gift of John McNeill, Springfield, South Dakota, 2009.

NMM 14380. Guitar by Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1964. Dove Natural. Serial number 224539. Purchase funds gift of André P. Larson in honor of his wife, Kay Marcum Larson, 2009.

NMM 14388. Guitar, China, distributed by Saga Musical Instruments, South San Francisco, California, June-August 2007. Blueridge Commemorative Guitar, Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, BR-2060. André P. & Kay Marcum Larson Fund, 2009.

NMM 14374. Flute d'amour by Jan Barend Beuker, Amsterdam, ca. 1735. Stained boxwood with one brass key. André P. & Kay Marcum Larson Acquisitions Fund, 2009.

NMM 14335. Clarinet in E-flat by Vinatieri and Castlas, Turin, Italy, ca. 1863. Seven keys. Boxwood with horn mounts. Vinatieri Family Trust, 2008.

NMM 14369. Clarinet in A by C. G. Conn, Elkhart, Indiana, and Worcester, Massachusetts, ca. 1890. Serial no. 384. Double-wall. Silver-plated body with gold-plated keys. André P. & Kay Marcum Larson Acquisitions Fund, 2009.

NMM 14338. Clarinet in B-flat by Theodor Berteling, New York, ca. 1890. Albert System. This clarinet was owned and played in the 203d Regiment Band during the Spanish-American War by Dennis E. Hartnett (1870-1949), a music teacher who opened the Hartnett National Music Studios in Manhattan in 1898, offering guitar, mandolin, and banjo instruction. Hartnett was a leading Gibson agent and often appeared in Gibson catalogs published during the 1910s. Gift of Dennis J. Harnett, Hyde Park, New York, 2008.

A-50. Bronze statue, 'Cowboy Serenade,' by George Gách (1909-1996), 1988. Born in Budapest, Gách was the son of the eminent sculptor, Stephen Gách. He studied with his father until age 18, after which he entered the Fine Arts Academy in Budapest, where he was later appointed an assistant professor. At age 30, Gách was selected to sculpt a bust of the President of Hungary. In 1952, Gách came to the United States with his family and devoted himself entirely to sculpting, painting, and teaching art. Most of Gách works are individual, unique pieces, which display an impelling feeling of movement. His commissions included more than 30 oil portraits, 50 bronze portrait busts (including the Presidents of Hungary and Lebanon, the Governor of Colorado, and the Governor of Bermuda), and bas reliefs. His bronze sculptures include 1,487 unique pieces created in wax, then cast in bronze. Height of this statue: 18". Gift of Christopher G. Peelle, Melville, NY, 2009.

The Holton Company, founded in Chicago in 1898, moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin in 1917, remaining in business there until the summer of 2008, at which time the NMM was able to save the company's historical records. Hundreds of photographs, cartes de viste, and real-photo postcards of bands and soloists from the 1880s to the 1930s, many of which were published in the earliest issues of the company's house organ, Holton's Harmony Hints, are one of the archive's most valuable assets. Primary-source materials in the Holton Archive include copies of virtually all of the company's catalogs, price lists, brochures, educational publications, and newsletters. Miscellaneous correspondence, deeds, contracts with early artist endorsers such as Arthur Pryor and Rudy Wiedoeft, Holton case production records, and union records from the 1940s-1960s are preserved. Uniforms and music from the early years of Frank Holton's Elkhorn Band, advertising banners, the Army-Navy E Award flag presented to the company during W.W. II, as well as many other ephemeral items, are also extant. Several scrapbooks dating from the early 1900s through W.W. II include copies of all the promotional materials and form letters sent to Holton's dealers. Work carried out on behalf of the government during W.W. II is well documented. Detailed sales records from the 1940s-1960s survive, as do repair cards from the 1950s-1960s, and account-payable ledgers dating back to the 1940s. Although some production analyses from the 1930s-1960s are preserved, no serial number records were among the papers donated to the NMM. The Holton instrument collection consists of 369 musical instruments (prototypes, experimental models, reference and production instruments), as well as parts of instruments, mouthpieces, and related accessories. Even the company's oversized, trombone-shaped weather-vane, which was at one time perched high atop the factory's water tower, has found a home at the NMM. Gift of Conn-Selmer, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana, 2008, with additional items gift of Craig Anderson, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 2009.

Vito Pascucci (1922-2003) and Léon Leblanc (1900-2000) co-founded the G. Leblanc Corp. in Kenosha, Wisconsin (1946-2004) initially to acclimatize, rebuild, regulate, and distribute Leblanc’s French-made woodwind instruments for the U.S. market. During the course of the next fifty years, Pascucci’s family-run business expanded exponentially with the purchase of the Frank Holton Company (1964), the Bublitz Case Company of Elkhorn (1966), the New York based Woodwind Company (1968), the Martin Band Instrument Co. of Elkhart, Indiana (1971), and, in 1989, controlling interest in Leblanc (Paris). In its heyday, G. Leblanc’s lines also included Noblet, Normandy, Courtois, Moosmann bassoons, Yanagisawa artist saxophones, and Avedis Zildjian cymbals. In 2004, G. Leblanc Corp. became a division of Conn-Selmer, Inc., a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. In 2008, 170 woodwind instruments were acquired by the NMM from the Kenosha plant, along with a complete pictorial history of the G. Leblanc company (as well as its French counterpart), preserved in thousands of photographs and negatives. Vito Pascucci’s personal notes, speeches, and personal correspondence files are preserved, as well as his interactions with the National Association of Music Merchants (1950s-1990s), the National Association of Band Instrument Manufacturers (1960s-1990s), the American Music Conference (1970s-1990s), the International Clarinet Society, Foundation for Advancement of Education in Music (1980s), and, the American Bandmasters Association (1950-1987). Other primary-source material in the Leblanc Archive includes copies of virtually all of the company's catalogs, price lists, brochures, educational publications, method books, and newsletters for its various divisions, as well as a large collection of competitor's catalogs. Many technical files and specification sheets regarding instrument design and development were saved and are particularly strong for the period of the 1950s-1980s. Corporate correspondence includes business records, annual reports, inter-office memos, and marketing data, but no serial number records were among the papers donated to the NMM. A large collection of newspaper and magazine clippings relating to the history of Leblanc was preserved, as well as Vito Pascucci's periodical collection (more than 5,000 single issues) and related library materials. More than 200 reel-to-reel audio tapes of concerts and sales training sessions were saved, as well as numerous mini-audio reels, 8- and 16-mm films, audio cassettes, slides, and 33-1/3 sound recordings. Gift of Conn-Selmer, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana, 2008, with additional items gift of Craig Anderson, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 2009.

To complement his encyclopedic harmonica collection, donated to the NMM in 2000, Alan G. Bates shipped his entire documentary collection of harmonica trade literature and paper ephemera to Vermillion late in the summer of 2008. The Bates Harmonica Archive includes approximately 2,000 pieces, including antique and vintage harmonica catalogs (particularly strong for the Hohner company), price lists, early instruction books, photos of famous players, sheet music, postcards, lobby cards, calendars, posters, and related materials. Shown above are (left to right): a "Cinderella stamp" created by Hohner for advertising purposes, ca. 1905; a post-W.W. II catalog of harmonicas and accordions specifically produced by Hohner under contract with the U.S. Navy, 1946; and, a Hohner catalog of 1939 featuring 3 new models designed by John Vassos (1898-1985), American industrial and graphic designer. Gift of Alan G. Bates, West Grove, Pennsylvania, 2008.

Catalogs, price lists, house organs, and related trade materials representing 164 guitar manufacturers and distributors (1930-2007) are among the 1,375 individual items in the Eric C. Shoaf Guitar Trade Catalog Collection. Shown at left: Gudelsky Guitar flyer (1992). Gift of Eric C. Shoaf, Riverside, Rhode Island, 2008.

Photograph album compiled by Nathan E. Posner (right), violin collector/dealer, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1925, containing black-and-white photographs of the violins, violas, and cellos he owned/sold during the early 1920s. Makers represented include Nicola Gagliano, Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu, J. B. Vuillaume, Peter Guarnerius, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Nicolas Amati, Carlo Bergonzi, Francesco Rugeri, Antonio Stradivari, and others. Ex coll.: Estate of Willis G. Groth, Silver City, New Mexico. Gift of Patricia Emerson, San Andreas, California, 2009.