Advanced Search 
View: Front
Harp-guitar
Emilius Nicolai Scherr (American, 1794–1874)
about 1835
Object Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Medium/Technique
Rosewood, spruce, ivory
Dimensions
Length 152 cm, width 33 cm, depth 8.7 cm (Length 59 13/16 in., width 13 in., depth 3 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds donated by William and Deborah Elfers
Accession Number2003.343
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAmericas, Musical Instruments
ClassificationsMusical instruments – Chordophones
DescriptionOne-piece back and ribs of rosewood. Belly of spruce stained brown with two circular soundholes. Gold striping along edges of back, ribs, belly, and headstock. Gold decoration at top, center, and bottom of back, comprised of foliate designs and lyre. Neck and headstock veneered with rosewood over core of hardwood. Headstock surmounted by two carved wooden heads of eagles, painted black and gold. Tuning machines of brass and iron with knobs of ivory. Fingerboard of rosewood with three dot fret markers of ivory and nineteen frets of nickel silver. Bridge and carved foliate extensions of rosewood. Nut and bridge buttons (four originals) of ivory. Base of ebonized wood screwed to bottom, with four protruding spikes of brass. Internal construction: six lateral braces on back (one above main soundhole and two below secondary soundhole) straddling shallow longitudinal brace, and six braces on belly (one above main soundhole and two below secondary soundhole).
InscriptionsPrinted label: EMILIUS N. SCHERR / Piano Forte and Organ Builder & c. / PHILADELPHIA / No. 264 Market Street / all kinds of Musical Instruments Repaired; in gold above main soundhole: PATENT / Harp Guitar.
Provenance1938, sold by Rebecca Wilder Holmes to the Music Department, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts; June 1996, loaned by Smith College to the MFA; 2003, sold by Smith College to the MFA. (Accession Date: September 17, 2003)
Serenade, about 1840
Composed by John B. Coupa
Performed by Olav Chris Henriksen