Bass drum used by David "Panama" Francis: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Bass Drum with "Panama Francis" on the front head. Iridescent white shell that resembles mother-of-pearl. Manufactured by the WFL Drum Company. Small metal plaque on drum shell with a round hole in the center has lettering that reads [WFL / DRUM CO / 1728 N. DAMEN AVE. / CHICAGO, U.S.A.] Rims are black plastic with center band of material matching shell. Four (4) pieces of white felt are stuck into the rims, two (2) on the front rim and two (2) on the back. Drum has twenty (20) silver lugs, ten (10) around the front rim and ten (10) around the back. Each has [WPL] engraved on the side. Drum has a silver handle on the top; shell is cracked around the handle. Front head has black text that reads [REMO / WEATHER KING / BASS DRUM / MADE IN U.S.A. / PANAMA / FRANCIS / MANNY'S MUSIC / 48TH ST. / N.Y.C.] Back head has a square pad in the center. Pad has a hole. Black lettering on the head reads '[REMO / SOUND MASTER / BASS DRUM / MADE IN U.S.A.]

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1950s
• Manufactured by: W.F.L. Drum Company, American, 1937 - 1955
• Manufactured by: Remo, Inc., American, founded 1957
• Used by: David "Panama" Francis, American, 1918 - 2001
• Type: bass drums
• Medium: felt, metal, plastic (exterior of drum body unidentified, possibly plastic)
• Dimensions: 25 x 23 1/4 x 17 1/2 in. (63.5 x 59.1 x 44.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Object number: 2013.112.2.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alyce Francis in memory of David "Panama" Francis
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.