Presentation Drum: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This drum was made by William A. Pond and Company in New York, New york, in 1863. It is a presentation drum.

Civil War drummer Jacob Booz (1840–1909) was presented this drum in 1863 by officers of his regiment, Company C, 1st New Jersey Volunteers, for recognition of service. The drum is inscribed with 14 of the engagements that Booz participated in. He enlisted in the Civil War on March 22, 1861 and served until he was honorably discharged on June 23, 1864. Jacob Booz re-enlisted on September 2, 1864, and participated in three more engagements. He was honorably discharged on June 30, 1865.

After Jacob Booz's death, his family presented the drum to the State of New Jersey Museum. Woodrow Wilson was governor at that time, and when he became president, the drum was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1917. The drum was originally intended for presentation only, but a vent hole (in the center of the inscription) was added later by Booz, enabling him to actually play the drum, which he used until his death in 1909.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1863
• associated person: Wilson, Woodrow
• user: Booze, Jacob
• maker: William A. Pond & Co.
• Object Name: drum
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 14 in x 17 7/8 in; 35.56 cm x 45.4025 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York
• related event: Civil War
• ID Number: MI.017230
• catalog number: 17230
• accession number: 60827
• Credit Line: Transfer from The White House
• 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.