Harp-Shaped Zither: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This zither was made by an unknown maker, undermined provenance, in the 19th century. It is a harp-shaped zither, made of dark-stained wood, unfretted with two wood bridges, 1 round sound hole, and 6 metal tuning pins. Collector Grimes refers to this object as a “Lodge Hall Harp” as it was purportedly used at a Masonic Lodge. This instrument was purchased for $50.00 on May 24, 1957, from The Curiosity Store in Mt. Liberty, Ohio. It’s possible that this object may have only been used for decorative purposes.

Anne Grimes (1912-2004) was an American journalist, musician, and historian of American (particularly Midwestern) folklore. Grimes studied voice and piano at Ohio Wesleyan and initiated graduate studies at Ohio State University. Following her education, Grimes was a music teacher, music and dance critic, and radio host. After WWII, Grimes began collecting and documenting folk songs throughout Ohio, as well as collecting Appalachian dulcimers and zithers. She would continue this work, performing, recording, and lecturing on instruments from her collection throughout the rest of her career.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 19th century
• Object Name: zither
• Measurements: overall: 3 7/16 in x 16 1/4 in x 34 1/8 in; 8.73125 cm x 41.275 cm x 86.6775 cm
• ID Number: 1996.0276.36
• accession number: 1996.0276
• catalog number: 1996.0276.36
• 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.