Melville Andrews made this violin from a collapsed Bangor bridge, with a spruce top, and two pieces of American maple on the back. "Guarnerius Model" is written inside the instrument’s body.
Patterns for Guarnerius style violins come from early master violin makers, the Guarneri family, from Italy in the1600s. For centuries afterward, violin makers like Andrews copied the style.
Melville Andrews made his living leading bands, teaching music, and crafting violins in Bangor. He played in the 12th Maine Regiment band during the American Civil War.
In mid-19th century Maine, music flourished through the efforts of individual musicians and local musical groups, especially bands. Here, Thompson proudly displayed his over-the-shoulder soprano horn, a band instrument of the period.
Originally from Jay, and later Greene, Maine, William Bergeron’s (1892-1947) parents were Franco from Quebec. Photographers often made portraits showing the sitter with the tools of their work, or sometimes used props. In this case, Bergeron might have played the banjo professionally, though it is not a traditional instrument in Franco music.
Calvin Edwards & Co. built this piano in Portland at their studio on the corner of Middle and Lime streets, where they operated as early as 1844. Compared to other 19th-century piano builders, Calvin Edwards created just a small number of instruments including pianos, organs, and melodeons, which he also tuned and repaired.
In 1858, about the same time Edwards created this piano, an advertisement noted Edwards & Co. specialized in instruments, “of style of finish and tone unsurpassed by any made in the country, constantly for sale.” The Great Fire of Portland destroyed the Edwards studio in 1866. A year later, he sold the company to his partner, William Twombly.
William H. Atkinson (1844-1929) from Limington owned this side-blown flute, made by Charles G. Chritsman of New York. Atkinson served in the 17th Maine Regiment during the Civil War, where he played in the band. Written on a piece of paper glued to the interior of the flute is the name “Atkinson.”
The flute is one of the oldest and most widely used wind instruments. A typical Western design side-blown flute, the player holds this instrument to the side (transverse) and blows air across the mouth hole into the flute. Along with keys that cover finger holes, this creates a different, higher sound than Indigenous block flutes.
Born in Germany, Heinrich Eduard Baack immigrated to New York around 1832 where he began manufacturing and importing instruments as Edward Baack. Baack marked this flute, which disassembles in four pieces, with his signature, E. Baack.
Aeolian harps create music by wind moving over the strings. Named for Aeolus, the ancient Greek god of wind, the harps include a wooden box with a sounding board and strings stretched lengthwise across two bridges.
Cultures including China, Ethiopia, Europe, Greece, India, Indonesia, and Melanesia have ancient wind harp traditions. The Bible features Aeolian harps, likely the instrument which played by itself when King David held it to the wind.
This box zither-style Aeolian harp rose to popularity in Maine between 1800 to 1850.
