Harmonica played by DeFord Bailey
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1976
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG, German, founded 1857
label: Used by
content: DeFord Bailey, American, 1899 - 1982
label: Subject of
content: Matthias Hohner, German, 1833 - 1902
notes: label: Description
content: A Hohner Marine Band Series Harmonica played by DeFord Bailey. The harmonica features stainless steel cover plates, a light brown wooden comb, ten holes, and a dark brown, wooden mouthpiece. The top cover plate is stamped with a profile portrait of Matthias Hohner depicted inside an oval shaped frame with a laurel wreath below. To the right of the portrait is stamped large, hatched text above script text that reads [MARINE BAND / M. Hohner]. Stamped on the far left edge of the top cover plate is the text [A440] and the letter [A] is stamped on the far right edge. Stamped along the bottom edge of the front cover plate and the hole numbers: [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10]. The bottom cover plate is heavily stamped with graphics and text of varying sizes and fonts. At the center of the plate is a graphic of a ring, gripped on either side by two hands. Text stamped inside the ring reads [GESETZL / GESCH]. Stamped above the left and right hands is the text [TRADE] and [MARK]. Stamped below in large text is [M. Hohner]. To the left of the center graphic are four rings: two overlapping smaller ones on the far left and two larger rings closer to the left hand graphic. Devices stamped inside the far left rings include one of a person standing between two winged figures and a man’s laurel wreath covered head shown in profile. The other two rings feature the text [ULM] and [1871] at the center of each ring. Text surrounding the far left rings read [D.VERDIENSTE] stamped vertically on the far left and [WEIN] and [1893] stamped above and below the rings. To the right of the center graphic are four rings: two overlapping smaller ones on the far right and two larger rings closer to the right hand graphic. Devices stamped inside the far left rings include one of a laurel wreath below three rows of triangles and the other of a seated toga-clad figure shown in profile with their arm extended. The other two rings feature the text [STUTT- / GART] and [1881] at the center of each ring. Text surrounding the far right rings read [GR.BRONCE] stamped vertically on the far right and [PHILAD.] and [1876] stamped above and below the rings. Stamped along the bottom edge is the text [MADE IN GERMANY] on the left and [FABRIQUÉ EN ALLEMANDE] on the right.
place: label: Place made
content: Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Europe
label: Place used
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Country (Music)
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
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, Gift of Christine Bailey Craig
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2022.3
objectType: label: Type
content: harmonicas
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: stainless steel, metal and wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 11/16 × 3 15/16 × 1 in. (1.8 × 10 × 2.5 cm)