Alto saxophone owned and played by Charlie Parker
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1947
name: label: Manufactured by
content: H. N. White Company, American, 1893 - 1965
label: Manufactured by
content: Otto Link & Co. Inc., American, founded 1931
label: Manufactured by
content: Rico, American, founded 1928
label: Used by
content: Charlie Parker, American, 1920 - 1955
label: Owned by
content: Charlie Parker, American, 1920 - 1955
notes: label: Description
content: Alto saxophone owned and played by Charlie Parker. The saxophone consists of seven parts: a body, neck, two [2] mouthpieces, two [2] ligatures and a reed.
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1a: The saxophone body is made of brass and has a sterling silver bell. Some of the keys have mother-of-pearl inlays. The bell is decorated with an engraved floral design with text on the front. The text reads [KING / Super / 20 / THE H.N. WHITE CO. /CLEVELAND – O]. Engraved above the bell lug at the bow of the saxophone is [STERLING / BELL]. Engraved in cursive text below this on the bell lug is [Charlie Parker]. Engraved on the back of the body at the bow, below the key guard is [295173].
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1b: The alto saxophone neck is made of brass and is covered in cork where the neck attaches to the mouthpiece. Engraved on the neck screw at the bottom of the neck is [295173].
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1c: The alto saxophone ligature is made of circular piece of metal. The ligature has two screws on the bottom to help support the reed in the mouthpiece.
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1d: An alto saxophone mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is made of metal with a plastic inlay on the beak and red rubber around the shank. Engraved text on the left side of the body reads [Series GG 53]. Engraved text on the front of the body reads [MASTER / LINK / NY / MOUTHPIECE]. Engraved text on the right side of the body reads [MASTER / LINK / NY / MOUTHPIECE]. Engraved text around the shank of the mouthpiece reads [OTTO LINK & CO. INC. NEW YORK].
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1e: An alto saxophone reed. The reed has black text on the back in the center of the reed. The text is printed over and around a musical clef and staff. Text written vertically and to the left of the musical clef is partially illegible. Part of it reads [Marque]. Text written over the musical staff reads [RICO] Text below the musical staff reads [REG U.S. PAT OFFICE]. Text written vertically to the right of the musical staff reads [V-2].
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1f: An alto saxophone mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is made of white plastic. It has gold text on the top of the body, near the shank. The text reads [“King” A].
label: Description
content: 2019.10.1g: The alto saxophone ligature is made of metal and fits on a metal mouthpiece cap when not assembled. The ligature has two screws.
place: label: Place made
content: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Composers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Musical Instruments
label: Exhibition
content: Musical Crossroads
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2019.10.1a-g
objectType: label: Type
content: saxophones
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: brass (alloy), silver, mother of pearl, cork (bark)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (assembled saxophone): 26 3/4 × 5 1/8 × 13 3/4 in. (68 × 13 × 35 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1a): 22 1/16 × 8 7/8 × 4 3/4 in. (56 × 22.5 × 12 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1b): 7 1/2 × 1 15/16 × 1 9/16 in. (19 × 5 × 4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1c): 7/8 × 1 3/16 × 1 3/16 in. (2.2 × 3 × 3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1d): 3 1/8 × 1 × 1 in. (8 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1e): 2 9/16 × 9/16 × 1/8 in. (6.5 × 1.5 × 0.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1f): 3 1/8 × 1 3/16 × 1 3/16 in. (8 × 3 × 3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2019.10.1g): 13/16 × 1 3/16 × 1 3/16 in. (2 × 3 × 3 cm)