Harp

Object/Artifact

Historic Charleston Foundation

Name/Title

Harp

Entry/Object ID

60.11.1

Description

Sebastian Erard (1752-1831) Harp Paris, France 1803 MATERIAL Engraved: 'Erard Freres, Par Brevet D'Invon a Paris 1803 Vo.104" http://www.piano-tuners.org/history/erard.html "Finally, in June 1810, after eight years of working on it, Sebastian Erard patented the double-action harp with seven pedals (number 3332). This is regarded by most people as the date of the invention of the concert harp. The instrument had one pedal for each note. Each pedal had three positions or two notches, which raised the pitch of the note by a semitone for one notch, or a tone for both notches, by moving the top bridges to shorten the speaking length of the strings. This harp could be considered more versatile than the piano, since with the use of the pedals a player could get 21 pitches to the octave, while with the piano 12 was the limit. It is reported that Erard did not undress for three months before his harp was finished, snatching meals with pencil in hand and sleeping for an hour now and again. The concert harp of today basically maintains his design, as does the roller action for grands". with Black Lacquer Frame and Gilt Floral Decoration on Box. Fluted Column with Gilt Acanthus Leaf and Ram's Head Capital. Eight Petals and Forty One Strings. Engraved 'Erard Freres, Par Brevet D'Invon a Paris 1803 Vo.104"

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Collection

Acquisition

Accession

60.11.

Source or Donor

Johnson, Mrs. Means

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Harriott Means Johnson

Made/Created

Date made

1803 - 1803

Place

Location

France

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

Maker's Mark: "Erard Freres, Par Brevet d' Invon a Paris 1803 No. 104"

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Harp

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Instrument, Stringed

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Musical Instruments

Nomenclature Class

Musical T&E

Nomenclature Category

Category 06: Tools & Equipment for Communication

Dimensions

Height

67 in

Width

29 in

Location

Room

203

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Moved By

June Hawkins

Date

June 25, 2002

Notes

Until: / /

Location

Building

NR DRAWING ROOM

Moved By

June Hawkins

Date

June 25, 2002

Notes

Until: / /

Location

Building

NR WITHDRAWING ROOM

Moved By

Red

Date

February 6, 1998

Notes

Until: / /

Location

Room

203

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Notes

1. THe wooden structure appears to be in sound condition although the interior of the object was not examined as it would have necessitated lying the object down on its side. 2. the gilded wood column capital and base has composition decorative elements which are missing several small pieces. A large piece of wood and a small carved swag have detached from the side of the capital and are extant.. 3. The column capital and base were originally oil-gilded, but have since been painted with at least two coats of bronze paint and a coat of silver paint. 4. The fluted column hhas evidence of gilding in the carved recesses which appears to have been abraded in most areas. 5The wooden sound box is painted with black to look llike lacquer and is decorated with a gilded floral design and a freehand gilt trim which runs along the outer edges. The decoration is all but obliterated by a darkened over varnish. 6. The strings are attached at the top of the harp to a curved brass band which is now haevily tarnished but has evidence of having been originally coated with a lacquer. 7. The beaded edge of the osund box and the beaded edge along the top edge of the harp are now coated with bonze powder paint but may have originally been gilded with gold leaf. The paint and gilt are actively flaking along these edges. 8. The base which supports the column may have originally been painted and gilded but is now covered with numerous layers of bronze powder piant. 9. The stirngs enter the sound box through an applied stsrip of wood which has been covered with bronze powder paint. The paint is flaking to the wood in many ares.

Conservation

Treatment

Conservator

Christine Thomson

Notes

Scope of work: This proposal covers the first phase of a conservation treatment ot the harp(phase 1) and includes structural repairs, stabilization of flaking paint and gilding, cleaning of black lacquer surfaces, polishing and coating metal components and removal of all later bronze powder paint from gilded surfaces/ It does not include replacement of missing ornament, compensation of losses in the oil-gilded areas, removal and reattachment of the strings or any other nec. strluctural work which was not detected in the initial examination. Structure- 1. Examine and document with photograph the interior of the harp, making sure that is is structurally stsable. It it is not, provide Historic Charleston with a proposal for strengthening and/or regluing where necessary. 2/Reattach detached gilded wooden and composition elements from the capital. Finish( black Laquer: 3: Take 6-8 small samples of the painted and gilded finishes and examine under the microscope with ultrtaviolet light attachment to discern the number of paint and varnish layers and the nature of these binders. From this info., a cleaning system can be formulated which will remove the bronze paint from the oil gilding and the darkened overvarnish from the gilded decoration on the sound box. 4. Stabilze all loose and flaking paint, mostly occurring on the bead trim around the edges of the osund box and the gilded column capital and base. 5. Basewd upopn the infomation gained from cross-sectional analysis formualte a system to clean the surface of the sound box to reomove dirt and grime and some of the darked overvarnish so that the gilded decoration is more visible. FInish ( oil gilding) 6. Based upon the information gained from cross-sectional analysis, formulate a method of removal of the later layers of bronze powder paint which cover the original oil painting. 7. Remove all later layers of bronzre powder paint (from the capital, base, the beading around the edges of the sound box and upper member which supports the brass strip and the strip which covers the area where the strings enter the sound box) exposing what remains of the original oil-gilding. T this time, the corators will be conslulted to be apprised of the current conditon of the oil gilding and will discuss with the conservator and appropriate degree of compenstaion. COmpensation (in-painting and in-gilding) of the gilded surfaces is not included in this proposal. Metal Components: 8. After having a stringed instrument concervator remove the strings, clan and coat the brass plate with an acrylic resin. 9. Polish and coat the pedals with an acrylic resin to keep the metal from tarnishing. Documentation: 10. Provide a written report of the condition of the object before treatment and a record of the treatment undertaken and materials used and black and white photographs of the object before, during, and after treatment. Cost: 7120

Provenance

Notes

Given by Mrs. Harriott Means Johnson, the harp belonged to her family but most likely came down through her mother's family - the Parson's - not her father's side, being the Pinckney's.

General Notes

Note

Notes: snapshots of hard on file, 1994 Condition report dimensions 11/276/94 were H:60", W: 45", D: 14" all approximate Status: OK Location Details1: 1 User10: 172008

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

February 6, 1998

Updated By

sferguson@historiccharleston.org

Update Date

May 24, 2023