Hohner Chromatica No. 261 Harmonica
date: label: date made
content: 1930s
name: label: maker
content: Hohner, M.
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, 1930s. It is a Chromatic No. 261 model with 35 double holes and 70 reeds. The harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates attached to the top and bottom with screws and nuts. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The box has two embossed labels:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>M.HOHNER’s<br>Chromatica<br>Germany</p>
label: Description
content: <p>(and):</p>
label: Description
content: <p>No.261</p>
label: Description
content: <p>The harmonica is engraved:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>M.HOHNER'S<br>[awards] CHROMATICA No.61</p>
label: Description
content: <p>The reeds in this harmonica are set in a position of adjacent half steps in a horizontal row (left to right-A, A#, B, C, etc., chromatic, without a slide button). It is an octave-tuned instrument, blow only. On an octave tuned harmonica, each vertically paired set of holes has 2 reeds tuned 8 diatonic scale notes apart.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This harmonica was previously owned and played by Johnny Puleo (1907-1983), an American harmonica player and actor. Puleo got his big break after performing at a contest held by harmonica player and actor, Borrah Minevitch (born Boruch Meinewitz, 1902-1955), and leader of the group The Harmonica Rascals. After Minevitch’s death in 1955, Puleo formed his own group, The Harmonica Gang. The group performed throughout the world and made several recordings during their association. Puleo appeared in several television programs and films.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Germany
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: Harmonicas
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: GIft of Josephine M. DeRosa and Louise H. Puleo
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1991.0265.02
label: catalog number
content: 1991.0265.02
label: accession number
content: 1991.0265
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harmonica
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: harmonica: 1 3/8 in x 14 in x 1 1/2 in; 3.4925 cm x 35.56 cm x 3.81 cm
label: Measurements
content: box: 1 5/8 in x 1 3/4 in x 14 5/8 in; 4.1275 cm x 4.445 cm x 37.1475 cm