Fruman Nickel Violin: Museum Object and Cultural History
Fruman Nickel Violin: date made: 1911. maker: Fruman, Felipe. Object Name: violin.
The object in the museum catalogue
This Violin was made by Felipe Fruman in 1911, possibly in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The violin is made of nickel, and is etched "March 30 1911/FRUMAN" on the treble side upper bout, and "PATENT/FRUMAN” on the bass side upper bout. In Argentina, Fruman was known as a hairdresser and wig maker, but his musician’s business card declares Fruman's nickel violin to be "Patentado por el N.8949.” The patent detailed a process of making violins from bronze, steel, copper, and tin.
Materials, dates and provenance
- date made: 1911
- maker: Fruman, Felipe
- Object Name: violin
- Physical Description: aluminum (overall material)
- Place Made: Argentina: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
- ID Number: 1991.0826.01
- accession number: 1991.0826
- catalog number: 1991.0826.01
- Credit Line: Gift of Sidney Fruman for the Fruman family in memory of Nathan Fruman
- 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.
Sources
More in Music
Keep reading