Ward Appalachian Dulcimer

This Appalachian dulcimer was made by M. Ward in Tipton, West Virginia, in 1935. It is a double-bout dulcimer made of spruce and black walnut, with bouts hinted at by small indentations on each side of the “waist” of the instrument. The dulcimer has a wood nut and a wood bridge elevated on a wood slab, 17 metal frets, 2 f-shaped sound holes, and a guitar-like head with 6 mechanical side tuners with pearloid tops. There is a typed index card taped to the back of the dulcimer:

C 17 double bout, Smith E 63, p. 115, 6 of 6 strings
fretted on 17 frets, typed label between two S holes
"made Sept 9, 1935"
A second label is visible that gives
the name Tipton W. Va, Made in Tyler Co, W. Va. by Okey
Wood who said he made it "around 1920." Unusual
design and wide fretboard with mechanical "worm tuners"
acquired for the Grimes collection from Wood at his home
in Middleport, Meigs Co. Ohio in 1956.
Woods used it to accompany his own ballad singing, noting
with his stumpy left hand which had been injured while a
US WWI soldier. His singing and playing in Anne Grimes
tape collection

Anne Grimes (1912-2004) was an American journalist, musician, and historian of American (particularly Midwestern) folklore. Grimes studied voice and piano at Ohio Wesleyan and initiated graduate studies at Ohio State University. Following her education, Grimes was a music teacher, music and dance critic, and radio host. After WWII, Grimes began collecting and documenting folk songs throughout Ohio, as well as collecting Appalachian dulcimers and zithers. She would continue this work, performing, recording, and lecturing on instruments from her collection throughout the rest of her career.