Peresson Viola: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This viola was made by Sergio Peresson in Haddonfield, New Jersey, in 1986. There is an original label inside the instrument:

Sergio Peresson di Udine Fece Anno 1986 Haddonfield [handwritten] [Sergio Peresson signature]

Sergio Peresson (1913–1991) was an Italian-American violin maker. Born in Udine, Peresson began making violins in Italy in 1943. Four years later, Peresson moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where he made new instruments and was repairer to the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. In the early 1960s he moved to Philadelphia and worked for the firm of William Moennig & Son from 1963-1971. In 1971 Peresson moved to the suburb of Haddenfield, New Jersey and continued to make instruments until his death in 1991.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1986
• Object Name: viola
• Measurements: overall: 43.4 cm; 17 1/16 in
• Measurements: overall: 27 3/4 in x 9 5/8 in x 4 1/2 in; 70.485 cm x 24.4475 cm x 11.43 cm
• place made: United States: New Jersey, Haddonfield
• ID Number: 2002.3026.02
• nonaccession number: 2002.3026
• catalog number: 2002.3026.02
• Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn and Herbert R. Axelrod
• 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.