Deagan Friction Harp: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This friction harp was made by J. C. Deagan, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, about 1920. It is comprised of a set of 25 tuned aluminum tubes that fit into a wood strip with metal thumb screws to hold the tubes in place. The wood strip is supported by a collapsible metal frame. Accessioned with a pair of tan cotton gloves, a jar of rosin, and wooden storage box.

John Calhoun Deagan (1853-1934), a first generation American of Irish descent, was a musician, inventor, and musical instrument manufacturer. He began making musical instruments in 1898 in St. Louis, Missouri. By 1913, his firm was incorporated in Chicago as J.C. Deagan Bells, Inc., and three years later would become J.C. Deagan, Inc.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1920
• maker: J. C. Deagan, Inc.
• Object Name: friction harp
• Physical Description: metal, aluminum (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 4 3/8 in x 90 in x 8 1/2 in; 11.1125 cm x 228.6 cm x 21.59 cm
• Measurements: overall in case: 4 1/2 in x 90 1/4 in x 9 in; 11.43 cm x 229.235 cm x 22.86 cm
• place made: United States: Illinois, Chicago
• ID Number: 2008.0098.01
• accession number: 2008.0098
• catalog number: 2008.0098.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Wren Ingram
• 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.