Eisenbrandt 5-Keyed Clarinet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This clarinet was made by Christian Heinrich Eisenbrandt (Henry C. Eisenbrant) in Baltimore, Maryland around 1829 to 1831. It is a 5-keyed clarinet in E-flat made of grenadilla or cocoa wood with ivory ferrules and square silver keys. This clarinet is stamped:

Christian Heinrich Eisenbrandt (1790-1861) immigrated from Germany in 1808 and settled in Philadelphia. In 1815, he was listed in the New York City Directory as Henry Eisenbrand, musical instrument maker. Eisenbrandt returned to Germany and for a few years, came back to the United States, and set up his shop in Baltimore in 1819. After his death in 1861, the firm was continued by his son, H.W.R. Eisenbrandt until 1949.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1829-1831
• maker: Eisenbrandt, Christian Heinrich
• Object Name: clarinet
• Physical Description: grenadilla or cocoa wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivory (overall material)
• Physical Description: silver (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 16 in x 2 7/8 in; 40.64 cm x 7.3025 cm
• Measurements: mouthpiece: 3 1/8 in x 1 in; 7.9375 cm x 2.54 cm
• Measurements: barrel: 1 11/16 in x 1 1/4 in; 4.28625 cm x 3.175 cm
• Measurements: upper joint: 5 13/16 in x 1 7/16 in; 14.76375 cm x 3.65125 cm
• Measurements: lower joint: 7 in x 1 3/4 in; 17.78 cm x 4.445 cm
• place made: United States: Maryland, Baltimore
• ID Number: 1985.0900.01
• accession number: 1985.0900
• catalog number: 1985.0900.01
• 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.