Object Details
Attributed to
Unidentified
Subject of
William Esperance Boucher Jr., American
Description
Banjo made in the style of William Esperance Boucher, Jr. (circa 1850s). The banjo has a circular head, with a tension head pulled tight across the front. There is a slightly tilted bridge on the head, with a tailpiece at the bottom holding the strings bottom in place along the rim. Both the tailpiece and the bridge are made of the same medium brown wood. There are metal brackets surrounding the rim of the banjo. This banjo is an early style of five-string banjos, which has four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. The neck and fingerboard of the banjo is made of the same medium glossy wood as the back of the head. There are four wooden turning keys and pegs on the top, with a 5th string turning peg, also made of wood, about halfway up the neck or fingerboard.
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Robert Bockee Winans
Date
ca. 1850s
Object number
2014.311
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Type
banjos
Medium
wood , metal , animal skin or synthetic materials
Dimensions
37 1/2 × 12 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (95.3 × 31.8 × 8.9 cm)
Place made
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
Cultural Place
West Africa, Africa
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Musical Instruments
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
African diaspora
Craftsmanship
Music
Resistance
Slavery
U.S. History, 1815-1861
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.311