Gibson Tenor Banjo, used by Vivian Hayes: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This banjo was made by the Gibson, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1927. It is a Four-String Tenor Banjo, Mastertone TB-5 Model, short neck, serial number 8693-1, with black walnut shell, black walnut neck, rosewood fingerboard with iridescent ivoroid and marquetry strippings, inlay of white pearl designs, similar ornamentation applied to peghead, 4:1 geared pegs with pearl buttons, electrical lights inside the head, gold-tone metal parts, and a laminated and arched flange resonator with marquetry and ivoroid inlays.

This banjo was custom made for vaudevillian performer Vivian Chenoweth Hayes with jeweled accents on the peghead and inscribed with “Vivian.”

Vivian Hayes toured with her husband Ed Hayes and sister Frances as "Ed Hayes and His Banjo Girls" from 1927-1930.

As indicated in a 1926 Gibson Banjo Catalog testimonial: “The new Gison Mastertone Tenor-banjo is assuredly a marvel instrument. Its snappy tone, coupled with the rich tonal qualities and its ease of playing, make it an instrument which can be used for all purposes – dance, radio and concert.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1927
• user: Hayes, Vivian Chenoweth
• maker: Gibson, Inc.
• Object Name: banjo
• Physical Description: walnut (overall material)
• Physical Description: rosewood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivoroid (overall material)
• Physical Description: animal skin (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 32 in x 13 3/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 81.28 cm x 34.925 cm x 8.89 cm
• place made: United States: Michigan, Kalamazoo
• ID Number: 1992.0481.01
• accession number: 1992.0481
• catalog number: 1992.0481.01
• Credit Line: Gift of the family of Vivian Chenoweth Hayes
• 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.