Object Details
maker
Mather, Fred P.
Description
This banjo is marked "F. P. Mather 1860." It is a Five-String Fretless Banjo, with a bird’s-eye maple shell, metal hoop, twenty brackets, brass-plated fingerboard, and machine tuners. Hand-written inscription on dowel stick:
F. MATHER MAKER 1860
Fred Mather was a well-known minstrel banjoist of the mid-19th century.
Like banjos marketed under the name of other well-known performers such as the Dobsons, this instrument was likely actually made in the New York factory of the Buckbee company. It is typical of mid-century commercial instruments in having a fretless neck, gut strings and a bentwood rim. The machine tuners and inlaid brass plate are probably later 19th century additions, along with the present arrangement of head-tightening brackets.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Estate of Fred P. Mather through Adelaide Mather
date made
1860
ID Number
MI.207888
catalog number
207888
accession number
37279
Object Name
banjo
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
metal (overall material)
animal skin (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 34 in x 12 1/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 86.36 cm x 31.115 cm x 8.89 cm
place made
United States: New York, New York City
Related Publication
Densmore, Frances. Handbook of the Collection of Musical Instruments in the United States National Museum.
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
Music & Musical Instruments
Banjos
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Music
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_605674