Harmonica owned by Big Mama Thornton
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1950
name: label: Created by
content: Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG, German, founded 1857
label: Used by
content: Big Mama Thornton, American, 1926 - 1984
notes: label: Description
content: A brass Hohner Old Standby harmonica owned and played by Big Mama Thornton.
label: Description
content: This bright brass harmonica in the key of ‘E’ with several engravings on front and back and a brown wooden comb with ten chamber holes. On one side of the well-worn instrument, from left to right, is the Hohner company six-point star. Engraved across the top is [M. HOHNER’S OLD STANDBY] with a (raised engraving of) “Founder of the Factory” icon. On the bottom is [REGISTERED / MADE IN GERMANY] and [M.HOHNER]. The numbers one through ten are engraved below.
label: Description
content: On the reverse side of the harmonica are several circular embossing’s and engravings representing the history of the manufacturer. From left to right is “D.VERDEIENSTE” (engraved vertically); two circular engraved embossing’s depicting family and a figurehead under “WIEN” (Vienna) with “1873” below them and “ULM / 1871” to their right. To the left of the middle raised engraving of “TRADE MARK” and a two handed “GESETZL./GESCH” logo, are circular engraved embossing’s which read “STUTT/GART / 1881” and “PHILAD / 1876” and “G.R.BRONCE”.
place: label: Place made
content: Germany, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Rhythm and blues (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: 2021.59.1
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: brass (alloy) , wood , metal and plastic
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 1 × 3 15/16 × 11/16 in. (2.5 × 10 × 1.7 cm)