Thomas Hitchcock Spinet
date: label: date made
content: 1705 - 1715
name: label: maker
content: Hitchcock, Thomas
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This harpsichord was made by Thomas Hitchcock in London, around 1703-1710. It is a bentside spinet with a compass of GG - g3, and a disposition of 1 x 8’. This instrument has a spruce soundboard, and ebony naturals with ivory arcade front and “skunk tail” accidentals. The nameboard is inscribed: “Thomas Hitchcock Londini Fecit No. 1228.” The jackrail is inscribed: “ACTI LABORES JUCUNDI” (labors are pleasant).
label: Description (Brief)
content: The inseparable case is made of walnut with two large ornamented brass hinges. The keyboard cover has three smaller brass hinges and a brass lock plate. The stand with turned legs is not original.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Thomas Hitchcock was a prolific spinet maker, producing over a thousand instruments in his lifetime. There is only one known full-size harpsichord by Thomas Hitchcock which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
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: Harpsichords
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Hugo Worch
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.303532
label: accession number
content: 62559
label: catalog number
content: 303532
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harpsichord
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood, walnut (case material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood, spruce (soundboard material)
label: Physical Description
content: ebony (naturals material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (accidentals material)
label: Physical Description
content: quill (plectra material)
label: Measurements
content: instrument: 7 in x 73 3/4 in x 27 1/4 in; 17.78 cm x 187.325 cm x 69.215 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: harpsichord: 7 in x 73 1/2 in x 28 in; 17.78 cm x 186.69 cm x 71.12 cm