Zitho-harp

Alternate name(s)

Guitar zither
Fretless zither
Zither, chord, melody strings, cross-strung
Chord zither

Date1900 ca.

Place MadeChicago, Illinois, United States, North America

ModelZitho-Harp Style E

Serial No.none

SignedSoundhole label: black rectangular paper label with single line gold border; within border in gold printed: Bredshall & Faber / MANUFACTURERS / ZITHO-HARP / STYLE “E” / CHICAGO, U. S. A. / Patented June 19th / 1900, / 242 GRAND AVENUE

Decal on top: within gold frame in gold and on red ribbon printed: MANFD. / BY / BREDSHALL&FABER / CHICAGO, U.S.A. / PAT.JUNE19TH1900.
MarkingsDecal on top near soundhole: on plaque in gold printed: ZiTHoHARP; on plaque in black printed: TRADE / MARK
DescriptionStrings: 41 strings; 5 chords consisting of 4 strings each strung horizontally across soundboard with bass strings at top of each chord; 21 melody strings strung vertically across soundboard
Body:
Top: birch with walnut veneer
Back: varnished birch
Sides: varnished walnut
Soundhole: circular soundhole centered on soundboard; 5 ply decorative decal border, red innermost border red and gold border, black and gold border, thin red and gold border, light gold border, dark gold border
Nut: 2 nuts; brown-varnished birch nut with steel saddle for chord strings, chord nut located vertical to soundboard; 2 piece brown-varnished maple nut with single piece steel saddle for melody strings, portion of nut for lowest melody strings located perpendicular to strings, portion of nut for higher melody strings located diagonal to strings
Bridge: 2 bridges; each bridge brown-varnished birch with steel wire saddle and birch endpiece with oak handrests; bridge for chord strings shorter, located on left side of soundhole; bridge for melody strings longer, located below soundhole
Decoration:
Manufacturing decal: red ribbon with gold border laid over gold frame; frame flanked on left and right sides of gold pedestals with flowers and gold ribbon; within gold frame in gold and on red ribbon printed: MANFD. BY / Bredshall & Faber / CHICAGO, U.S.A. / PAT. JUNE 19TH 1900.
Model decal: yellow plaque with gold scrolling border; on plaque in gold printed: ZiTHoHARP; on plaque in black printed: TRADE / MARK; golden eagle with wings spread over top of four American flags located above plaque
Pitch designation decal: curving yellow ribbon with scrolling gold border decal located underneath both chord strings and melody strings; decal accented with gold image of a lyre and gold scroll accents in the corner and at the end of the ribbon; decal indicates chord spellings and chord numbers; decal indicates melody string tuning and melody string numbers
Tuning Pins:
chord string tuners: 20 blued steel tuning pins located on shortest side of body
Melody string tuners: 21 blued steel tuning pin located on curvilinear side of body
Table-top Rests: 3 dome-shaped rests on back, 1 in each corner
DimensionsBody: 474 mm / 18.7 inches wide, 460 mm / 18.1 inches long
Chord string vibrating length: 415 mm / 16.3 inches
Highest melody string vibrating length: 185 mm / 7.3 inches
Lowest melody string vibrating length: 410 mm / 16.1 inches
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number02250

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