Electronic Valve Instrument played by Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI) consists of a cased control panel and a handheld unit (a). The case and handheld unit cannot be separated from each other. The case housing also serves as a carrying case. The exterior of the case is covered in stickers with gouges and abbrasions. Stickers advertise for the 2006 Marbella International Jazz Festival and Fiesta Mundial Del Jazz, and a large orange sticker reads [INTERPLANETARY MUSIC / MARSHALL ALLEN / DIRECTOR OF THE / SUN RA ARKESTRA]. The lid to the case (component 'b') is detached with hinge pins missing and is no longer a functional closure. The control panel consists of a black panel with row of dials and toggles. Panels, dials, and toggles show oxidation and grime. A three-pronged power cord extends from the panel. The handheld unit, black, with [STEINER] printed in white text on one side, has dials for tune, scale, and port. Three black switches are analogous to trumpet valves. The handheld unit is attached to instrument panel with wire covered by black plastic cord.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: early 1980s
• Manufactured by: Crumar
• Used by: The Sun Ra Arkestra, American
• Used by: Marshall Allen, born 1924
• Designed by: Nyle Steiner
• Type: musical instruments
• Medium: plastic, metal and wire
• Dimensions: H x W x D (cased instrument): 5 × 18 1/8 × 4 1/4 in. (12.7 × 46 × 10.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (detached lid): 1 3/16 × 18 5/16 × 4 15/16 in. (3 × 46.5 × 12.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (controller): 3 9/16 × 2 7/16 × 14 3/8 in. (9 × 6.2 × 36.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Technology
• Object number: 2021.52.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.