C. Bruno & Son Banjo Ukulele: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This banjo ukulele was sold by C. Bruno & Son, Inc. in New York, New York around 1916-1925. The wholesale musical instrument merchandiser was founded in 1834 by Charles Bruno. Charles, Jr. joined his father around 1862 and later served as the company’s president until his death in 1912. There is a medallion on the peghead:

A nationwide enthusiasm for all things Hawaiian was sparked by performances of hula dancing and ukulele playing at the Hawaiian Pavilion during the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Within months, banjos tuned and played like Hawaiian ukuleles were marketed to capitalize on the growing interest.

In a 1927 advertisement in the Music Trade Review, the Bruno company asserted: “In conscientiously marketing, advancing and promoting the products of the makers, "Bruno" likewise has served the best interests of a great host of retail music dealers throughout the world. And so through this development, the trade slogan "Bruno Means Security" was evolved.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1900-1925
• maker: C. Bruno & Son
• Object Name: banjo ukulele
• Physical Description: metal (part material)
• Physical Description: wood (part material)
• Measurements: overall: 21 in x 7 3/4 in x 2 1/2 in; 53.34 cm x 19.685 cm x 6.35 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York City
• ID Number: 1982.0204.01
• accession number: 1982.0204
• catalog number: 1982.0204.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Helen Ann Immitti
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.