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Banjo made in the style of William Esperance Boucher, Jr.

Object Details

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.
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Attributed to
Unidentified
Subject of
William Esperance Boucher Jr., American
Date
ca. 1850s
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Robert Bockee Winans
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)
Type
banjos

Featured In

  • Banjos
  • Banjos:Banjos
  • African American Music:African American Music
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