Eisenbrandt Double Flageolet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This flageolet was made by Christian Heinrich Eisenbrandt in Baltimore, Maryland, around 1838-1842. It is a double flageolet made of boxwood with ivory mountings, and nickel silver keys Accessioned with custom-made period case. The instrument 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 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: 1838-1842
• maker: Eisenbrandt, Christian Heinrich
• maker: Eisenbrandt, Christian Heinrich
• Object Name: flageolet
• Physical Description: boxwood (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivory (overall material)
• Physical Description: nickel silver (overall material)
• Measurements: left pipe: 10 5/8 in x 1 1/8 in; 26.9875 cm x 2.8575 cm
• Measurements: right pipe: 10 5/8 in x 1 1/4 in; 26.9875 cm x 3.175 cm
• Measurements: foot joint: 10 3/4 in x 2 1/2 in; 27.305 cm x 6.35 cm
• place made: United States: Maryland, Baltimore
• ID Number: 1981.0569.01
• accession number: 1981.0569
• catalog number: 1981.0569.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Anne Bayly Lloyd Battams
• 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.