Reproduction Patent Violin: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This violin was made by Charles R. Luscombe of Washington, D.C. about 1902. It was constructed in the Smithsonian as a copy of the S. J. Talbott patent “fiddle,” catalog #231114. This model has individual bridges for each of 16 strings and a tapered cylindrical body stained reddish-brown with orange-yellow flat back.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1901 - 1902
• maker: Luscombe, Charles R.
• Object Name: violin
• Physical Description: wood, pine (body material)
• Physical Description: steel (strings material)
• Physical Description: wood, hickory (foot material)
• Measurements: overall: 23 in x 5 1/2 in x 3 1/8 in; 58.42 cm x 13.97 cm x 7.9375 cm
• Measurements: body: 18 1/2 in; 46.99 cm
• Place Made: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
• ID Number: MI.215475
• catalog number: 215475
• accession number: 39749
• catalog number: 215,475
• 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.