Hohner Official Scout Harmonica: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This harmonica was made by Hohner in China, 1980s. It is a Hohner Official Scout harmonica in the key of C, with 10 holes and 20 reeds. It has a plastic comb with metal cover plates attached with screws and nuts to the top and bottom. Accessioned with original paper box and instruction sheet. The harmonica is engraved:

Official Scout Harmonica HOHNER [Boy Scouts logo]. Manufactured by Hohner with permission by the Boy Scouts of America

This harmonica is an example of types of harmonicas by Hohner, Inc. that were sent to American troops stationed in the Middle East during the 1980s.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1980s
• maker: Hohner
• Object Name: harmonica
• Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Measurements: harmonica: 7/8 in x 3 15/16 in x 1 1/8 in; 2.2225 cm x 10.00125 cm x 2.8575 cm
• Measurements: box: 1 1/16 in x 4 5/16 in x 1 3/8 in; 2.69875 cm x 10.97661 cm x 3.4925 cm
• Measurements: leaflet: 1/4 in x 2 7/8 in x 1 1/2 in; .635 cm x 7.3025 cm x 3.81 cm
• place made: China
• referenced: Boy Scouts of America
• ID Number: 1991.0045.01
• catalog number: 1991.0045.01
• accession number: 1991.0045
• Credit Line: Gift of Hohner, Inc.
• 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.