Graves & Co. 5-Keyed Clarinet: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This clarinet was made by Samuel Graves & Co. in Winchester, new Hampshire around 1830 to 1832. It is a 5-keyed clarinet in C made of boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keys. The clarinet’s bell is stamped:

Samuel Graves (1794-1878) formed his musical instrument making firm in West Fairlee, Vermont, in 1824. Graves opened a new workshop in Winchester, New Hampshire near the Ashuelot River in 1830. The dam on the river provided the shop of Graves & Co. the source for its water-powered machinery.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1830-1832
• maker: Samuel Graves & Co.
• Object Name: clarinet
• Physical Description: boxwood (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivory (overall material)
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 21 in x 2 7/8 in; 53.34 cm x 7.3025 cm
• Measurements: mouthpiece: 3 11/16 in x 7/8 in; 9.36625 cm x 2.2225 cm
• Measurements: barrel: 2 1/8 in x 1 3/8 in; 5.3975 cm x 3.4925 cm
• Measurements: upper joint: 8 1/8 in x 1 1/2 in; 20.6375 cm x 3.81 cm
• Measurements: lower joint/bell: 12 5/8 in x 2 15/16 in; 32.0675 cm x 7.46125 cm
• place made: United States: New Hampshire, Winchester
• ID Number: 1982.0205.01
• accession number: 1982.0205
• catalog number: 1982.0205.01
• 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.