Prescott Reed Organ (Lap)
date: label: date made
content: 1845-1855
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This organ was made by Abraham Prescott in Concord, New Hampshire, around 1838-1842. It is a melodeon (lap organ) with a rectangular rosewood and maple case, double bellows, 8 soundholes, ivory buttons (29 naturals. 20 accidentals), with a compass of C - c3. This instrument is also known as an “elbow” organ, “rocking” melodeon, or lap organ. The swell knob plate is inscribed:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>A. PRESCOTT<br>MANUFACTURER<br>CONCORD<br>N.H.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Abraham Prescott (1789-1858) was one of the most prolific of the bass viol makers. A self-taught instrument maker, he began his craft in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in 1809 and moved his business to Concord in 1831, where he continued to make violoncellos, bass viols, and double basses (and later reed organs and pianos) until about 1850. Prescott instruments are often fitted with machine-head tuning gears instead of more usual pegs.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New Hampshire, Concord
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: Organs
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Frank H. Robinson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.378539
label: catalog number
content: 378539
label: accession number
content: 143839
objectType: label: Object Name
content: organ (lap)
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: rosewood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: maple (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (overall material)