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Musical Treasures at the Smithsonian

From Louis Armstrong's trumpet to Grandmaster Flash's turntable and from a Central African harp to an Apache violin, these objects represent just a sampling of how music is collected, curated and studied at the Smithsonian. Explore these photographs, objects, and artifacts that help explain how music infuses our everyday life, brightening it with its sounds and beats.

  • Vest worn by Jimi Hendrix
  • King B-Flat Trumpet, used by Dizzy Gillespie
  • Chet Atkin’s Haile Guitar
  • Wurlitzer Electric Piano

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  • "1970s"
  • "United States"
  • collection
    • Cultural and Community Life: Musical Instruments 3
    • Music & Musical Instruments 3
    • Artifact Walls 1
    • Clothing-Historical 1
    • Musical Crossroads 1
    • NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053 1
    • National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection 1
    • National Museum of American History 1
    • Pianos 1
    • Popular Entertainment 1
  • topic
    • Music 3
    • Musical instruments 3
    • Amusements 1
    • Clothing and dress 1
    • Jazz 1
    • Pianos 1
    • Rock and roll (Music) 1
  • culture
    • African Americans 2
    • Blacks 1
  • place
    • Central Asia 1
    • De Kalb 1
    • Eastlake 1
    • Illinois 1
    • Kentucky 1
    • North and Central America 1
    • Ohio 1
    • Tompkinsville 1
  • date
    • 1960s 1

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