Richael Folk Fiddle: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This folk fiddle was made by Claude L. Richael of Grove City, Pennsylvania around 1930. It is unusual in that the corner blocks are glued to the outside of the ribs to form a traditional violin outline. Richael, in a letter from 1932, claimed that although he could “make more improvement in the outward appearance of the instrument,” the violin “is perfect in tonal properties from the first.” This violin is made of a two-piece table of pine, back and ribs of hardwood, maple neck, pegbox and scroll, stained mahogany fingerboard, and a heavy opaque reddish-brown varnish.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1932-1933
• maker: Richael, Claude L.
• Object Name: fiddle
• Physical Description: pine (table material)
• Physical Description: hardwood (back material)
• Measurements: overall: 23 3/8 in x 7 13/16 in x 3 1/4 in; 59.3725 cm x 19.84375 cm x 8.255 cm
• Place Made: United States: Pennsylvania, Grove City
• ID Number: MI.364772
• accession number: 122570
• catalog number: 364772
• Credit Line: Gift of Claude L. Richael
• 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.