Hohner Second To None Harmonica: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, ca. 1904. It is a Second to None model in the key of C, with 10 single holes. This harmonica has a brown-stained comb and metal cover plates attached with screws on the sides. Accessioned with original cardboard box and small Hohner booklet. The top cover plate is stamped:

SECOND TO NONE U.S.A. PATENT JANRY 26th 1904 MADE BY M.HOHNER GERMANY REGD.U.S PAT.OFFICE

This harmonica features U.S. Design Patent #36748, dated January 26, 1904, by Hans Hohner for a design for a mouth-harmonica.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1904
• maker: Hohner, M.
• Object Name: harmonica
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Measurements: harmonica: 7/8 in x 1 1/4 in x 3 13/16 in; 2.2225 cm x 3.175 cm x 9.68375 cm
• Measurements: box: 1 1/4 in x 1 1/2 in x 4 1/8 in; 3.175 cm x 3.81 cm x 10.4775 cm
• place made: Germany
• ID Number: 2005.0268.15
• accession number: 2005.0268
• catalog number: 2005.0268.15
• patent number: D36748
• Credit Line: Gift of Peter Kassan
• 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.