Portable Organ

Object/Artifact

-

Florence Arts and Museums

Name/Title

Portable Organ

Entry/Object ID

F.0081

Description

Mason and Hamlin Portable Organ

Context

From the National Music Centre (Canada): "Between 1850 and 1920, several million harmoniums were manufactured in the United States alone. The harmonium is typically most esteemed for its portable nature, having been favoured by musicians who require an instrument that is small and durable, either to be placed in a small venue or to be moved across long distances. Throughout the First and Second World Wars, the harmonium served as the instrument of choice for travelling priests, chaplains, and missionaries who were impressed with the instrument’s ability to travel well and maintain its tuning stability."

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Mason and Hamlin

Date made

Feb 9, 1871

Notes

Made in Boston, MA. "D.A. White or D.N. White"

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

No 4283 is etched in the base behind the keyboard and no 32348 is stamped on the removable top.

Materials

Material

Wood

Material Notes

Walnut