Prescott Reed Organ (Lap): Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This organ was made by Abraham Prescott in Concord, New Hampshire, around 1838-1842. It is a melodeon (lap organ) with a rectangular rosewood and maple case, double bellows, 8 soundholes, ivory buttons (29 naturals. 20 accidentals), with a compass of C - c3. This instrument is also known as an “elbow” organ, “rocking” melodeon, or lap organ. The swell knob plate is inscribed:

Abraham Prescott (1789-1858) was one of the most prolific of the bass viol makers. A self-taught instrument maker, he began his craft in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in 1809 and moved his business to Concord in 1831, where he continued to make violoncellos, bass viols, and double basses (and later reed organs and pianos) until about 1850. Prescott instruments are often fitted with machine-head tuning gears instead of more usual pegs.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1845-1855
• maker: Prescott, Abraham
• Object Name: organ (lap)
• Physical Description: rosewood (overall material)
• Physical Description: maple (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivory (overall material)
• place made: United States: New Hampshire, Concord
• ID Number: MI.378539
• catalog number: 378539
• accession number: 143839
• Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Frank H. Robinson
• 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.