Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 392
Scan 392
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
15 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 366. See the scan on archive.org.
1A double bass assigned to Gaspar di Salo, probably by Maggini, lent by the Duke of Leinster.
2A huge double bass, given to the Museum by the Duke of Leinster; &c.
4The Exhibition also contained several beautiful violin bows by Tourte and other celebrated bow makers. Likewise some tastefully-shaped and ornamented cases, originally made for the old instruments to which they belong.
6As regards the old English violins, tenors, and violoncellos, those by Benjamin Banks, Edmund Aireton, Richard Duke, William Forster, and other makers of the eighteenth century, were sufficiently represented; likewise the gambas by Barak Norman, dating from the seventeenth century. There are, however, several other English makers, formerly much esteemed, of whose manufacture some well-preserved instruments may be still in existence, as, for instance:—Thomas Urquhart, seventeenth century; Edward Pamphilon, seventeenth century; Daniel Parker, beginning of eighteenth century, &c. Thomas Mace, in his 'Musick's Monument,' London, 1676, says that "of viols and basses there are no better in the world than those of Aldred, Jay, and Smith; yet the highest in esteem are Bolles and Ross. One bass by Bolles I have known valued at 100l." And he adds, "These were old, but we have now very excellent good workmen, who, no doubt, can work as well as those, if they be so well paid for their work as they were." Also the manufacture of lutes, theorbos, and cithers was, about two centuries ago, assiduously carried on in England. This is well known to musical antiquarians; but the superiority of the Italian instruments has somewhat obscured the indigenous ones. Would it not be advisable to save as a memorial at least one or two specimens of each antiquated kind of English workmanship and art formerly popular in the British Isles?
8CLASS III.
10HARPS, LUTES, GUITARS, CITHERS, DULCIMERS, &c.
12On some of the instruments included in this class the sound is produced by twanging the strings with the fingers:—harp, lute, theorbo, guitar, &c.; on others, by twanging the strings with a quill, or other kind of plectrum:—cither, mandoline, &c.; and again on others, by striking the strings with little hammers:—dulcimer, &c.
14Among the harps exhibited were some French ones tastefully ornamented, dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
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