The Phantom Violins

When Sidedoor listener Cliff Hall bought a used violin, he found a tattered note tucked alongside the century-old instrument. Obsessed with this cryptic piece of paper, Cliff’s quest to find the owner of the violin unlocked a tale of subterfuge, scandal, and the Smithsonian’s first donation of rare instruments.

Transcript

Guests:

• Deborah Shapiro, reference archivist at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
• Cliff Hall, violin teacher and freelance journalist
• Kenneth Slowik, curator of the musical instrument collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History; artistic director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society