Hohner Harmonetta: Museum Object and Cultural History
Hohner Harmonetta: Date made: early 1950s – mid-1970s. maker: Hohner, M.. Object Name: harmonica.
The object in the museum catalogue
This harmonetta was made by M. Hohner in Germany, early 1950s – mid-1970s. It has 18 double holes with 32 hexagonal buttons in harmonic table note layout. This harmonetta has a black plastic comb with a gold tone metal body with air holes. Accessioned with original leather covered wooden case.
The harmonetta combines features of the harmonica and the melodica. Individual notes can be played by depressing a single button. Chords can be played by depressing multiple adjoining buttons.
German musician and engineer Ernst Zacharias (b. 1924) invented the harmonetta and has received over 90 patents for Hohner, including plastic recorders and watch and clock mechanisms.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date made: early 1950s – mid-1970s
- maker: Hohner, M.
- Object Name: harmonica
- Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
- Physical Description: wood (overall material)
- Physical Description: metal (overall material)
- Measurements: harmonica: 1 15/16 in x 6 in x 7 1/8 in; 4.92125 cm x 15.24 cm x 18.0975 cm
- Measurements: case: 2 3/4 in x 6 5/8 in x 10 in; 6.985 cm x 16.8275 cm x 25.4 cm
- place made: Germany
- ID Number: 1988.0783.485
- accession number: 1988.0783
- catalog number: 1988.0783.485
- Credit Line: The Peter Kassan Collection
- 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
