- On View
- Musical Crossroads Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Exhibition
- Musical Crossroads
- Manufactured by
- Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG, German, founded 1857
- Used by
- Bailey, DeFord, American, 1899 - 1982
- Subject of
- Hohner, Matthias, German, 1833 - 1902
- Date
- ca. 1976
- Medium
- stainless steel, metal and wood
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 11/16 × 3 15/16 × 1 in. (1.8 × 10 × 2.5 cm)
- Description
- A Hohner Marine Band Series Harmonica played by DeFord Bailey. The harmonica features stainless steel cover plates, a light brown wooden comb, ten holes, and a dark brown, wooden mouthpiece. The top cover plate is stamped with a profile portrait of Matthias Hohner depicted inside an oval shaped frame with a laurel wreath below. To the right of the portrait is stamped large, hatched text above script text that reads [MARINE BAND / M. Hohner]. Stamped on the far left edge of the top cover plate is the text [A440] and the letter [A] is stamped on the far right edge. Stamped along the bottom edge of the front cover plate and the hole numbers: [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10]. The bottom cover plate is heavily stamped with graphics and text of varying sizes and fonts. At the center of the plate is a graphic of a ring, gripped on either side by two hands. Text stamped inside the ring reads [GESETZL / GESCH]. Stamped above the left and right hands is the text [TRADE] and [MARK]. Stamped below in large text is [M. Hohner]. To the left of the center graphic are four rings: two overlapping smaller ones on the far left and two larger rings closer to the left hand graphic. Devices stamped inside the far left rings include one of a person standing between two winged figures and a man’s laurel wreath covered head shown in profile. The other two rings feature the text [ULM] and [1871] at the center of each ring. Text surrounding the far left rings read [D.VERDIENSTE] stamped vertically on the far left and [WEIN] and [1893] stamped above and below the rings. To the right of the center graphic are four rings: two overlapping smaller ones on the far right and two larger rings closer to the right hand graphic. Devices stamped inside the far left rings include one of a laurel wreath below three rows of triangles and the other of a seated toga-clad figure shown in profile with their arm extended. The other two rings feature the text [STUTT- / GART] and [1881] at the center of each ring. Text surrounding the far right rings read [GR.BRONCE] stamped vertically on the far right and [PHILAD.] and [1876] stamped above and below the rings. Stamped along the bottom edge is the text [MADE IN GERMANY] on the left and [FABRIQUÉ EN ALLEMANDE] on the right.
- Place made
- Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Europe
- Place used
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Musical Instruments
- Type
- harmonicas
- Topic
- Blues (Music)
- Country (Music)
- Instrumentalists (Musicians)
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Christine Bailey Craig
- Object number
- 2022.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- No known copyright restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




