Gibson Five-String Banjo, used by Wade Ward
date: label: Date made
content: 1932-1938
label: date made
content: ca 1935
name: label: maker
content: Gibson Co.
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This banjo was made by Gibson Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan around 1935. It is a Five-String Banjo, with 22 frets, 24 brackets, pearloid inlaid on fingerboard and back of resonator, and a maple hoop. In a 1934 Gibson catalog, this "RB-11" style banjo sold for $60.00. Although it was one of the less expensive Gibson models it produced a loud and clear tone. This banjo is marked</p>
label: Description
content: <p>THE<br>Gibson<br>GIBSON INC.<br>KALAMAZOO<br>MICH.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Benjamin Wade Ward of Independence, Virginia one of the most admired traditional banjo players of this century owned this banjo. Ward performed with the Galax, Virginia group the “Bog Trotters” often providing entertainment during auctions and other local events. The “Bog Trotters” were comprised of “Uncle” Alec Dunford, fiddle, Dr. W.P. Davis, autoharp, “Uncle” Davy Crockett Ward, second fiddle, Wade Ward, banjo, and Fields Ward, guitar. On Tuesday, January 9th, 1940, the group performed for the American School of the Air broadcast from WDBJ radio studio in Roanoke, Virginia. The CBS American School of the Air programs were written and directed by Alan Lomax.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Michigan, Kalamazoo
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
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content: Music & Musical Instruments
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content: Banjos
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Estate of Wade Ward through Dorothy Heffinger
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.72.01
label: accession number
content: 297200
label: catalog number
content: 72.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: banjo
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: animal skin (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 1/4 in x 13 3/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 97.155 cm x 34.925 cm x 8.89 cm