Appalachian Dulcimer
date: label: date made
content: 1849
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This Appalachian dulcimer was possibly made by R. B. P in Louisa, Kentucky, 1849. It is a single-bout dulcimer, with a wood nut and bridge, two round sound holes, two square sound holes, and two F-shaped sound holes, 12 metal frets, carved out pegbox for 3 friction pegs, and a rounded head. There are two index cards attached to the back of the dulcimer. One card is typed:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>A. Smith E39, p/. 102<br>Two of three strings fretted on 12 frets.<br>Dated 1849, A. Smith says "possibly oldest of Type E (double<br>bout). And, since only slightly waisted, as if derived from<br>a Type D (single bout), though, unlike D's, fingerboard is<br>not hollow.<br>Two small round soundholes (one each side) toward tuners;<br>in middle small square holes (one each side) and, by strum,<br>small F-holes. The strum hollow seems to have developed through<br>use: evidently not the intention of the maker. Shorter<br>vibrating string length that typw D's.<br>"R.B.P. 21/49, Louisa, Ky." Inside left square hole:<br>"R.B. igg. 2/21/49." Carved on the belley are the initials<br>"L.C., H.Y. and JEO" and pencilled "Luella, Ky."<br>*Accquired by A.G., March 15, 1955, in Mechanicsburg, Champaign<br>County, Ohio, from Mrs. Merle Westfall, who said it had been<br>played in that village. (See Continued: related information)</p>
label: Description
content: <p>(and the other index card.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>A.Smith E39, p. 102 continued)<br>Of Mechanicsburg dulcimer is interest and, perhaps related to<br>the E39: The small village was for many years the home of<br>Harvey Halley, who played and taught the dulcimer until the time<br>of this death there in 1944, aged 76 years.<br>Harvey Halley was born 1868 in Gallia County, Ohio, where<br>his father, Dr. Henry Halley was a physician. Dr. Halley gave<br>his son his dulcimer in 1885, when Harvey was 17 years old.<br>Harvey taught his nephew, Brodie Franklin Halley, also<br>of Gallia County, to play the dulcimer in the 1890's. Brodie<br>having been born in 1877.<br> Brodie was the best traditional player ever known to<br>Anne Grimes. (See Grimes Tapes #28 and #29 and letters etc. in Halley's file folder) Grimes tapes made February 1954, when<br>Halley lived near Gallipolis in a beautiful and well maintained<br>old log cabin family homestead. He bought his dulcimer in<br>1909 in Gallia county from John White "an old Civil War vet"eran.'<br>It similar to E44, p.104, Butternut Gallia dulcimer,- only<br>Halleys soundholes: Hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs!"</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Anne Grimes (1912-2004) was an American journalist, musician, and historian of American (particularly Midwestern) folklore. Grimes studied voice and piano at Ohio Wesleyan and initiated graduate studies at Ohio State University. Following her education, Grimes was a music teacher, music and dance critic, and radio host. After WWII, Grimes began collecting and documenting folk songs throughout Ohio, as well as collecting Appalachian dulcimers and zithers. She would continue this work, performing, recording, and lecturing on instruments from her collection throughout the rest of her career.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Kentucky, Louisa
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Dulcimers
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Smith, L. Allen. Catalogue of Pre-Revival Appalachian Dulcimers
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1996.0276.19
label: accession number
content: 1996.0276
label: catalog number
content: 1996.0276.19
label: collector/donor number
content: E39
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dulcimer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 1/2 in x 6 7/16 in x 32 1/2 in; 8.89 cm x 16.35125 cm x 82.55 cm