Reform harp zither
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- Alpine zither
- Zither, Alpine, fretboard, accompaniment, bass, and sub-bass strings, pillar, some bass strings fan out on an angle
- Concert zither
Maker
Friedrich Strobel
Date1944
Place MadeBismarck, North Dakota, United States, North America
ModelReform-harfenzither
Salzburg form
Serial No.None
SignedSoundhole label, painted in red, black, and gold: FORT LINCOLN / Friedrich Strobel / ~ 1944 ~DescriptionFriedrich Strobel made this zither while interned as an enemy alien in Fort Lincoln, North Dakota.Strings: 40 strings; 5 melody, 35 accompaniment strings
Body:
Top: ribbon-figured mahogany extensively inlaid with mahogany, maple, and brown-green dyed maple flowers; upper edge overlaid with deep-relief walnut foliate scroll carving
Back: spruce back with shaded red-brown finish
Sides: mahogany
Pillar: walnut with deep-relief carving of two birds and foliate motif
Edging: black paint along edge; walnut, mahogany, pine, and green-brown-dyed maple floral inlaid border along edge
Soundhole: main soundhole with walnut, mahogany, pine, and green-brown-dyed maple floral inlaid border and black-painted edge; ancillary soundholes with walnut inlaid borders and black-painted edges
Fretboard: walnut with 30 nickel-silver frets including zero fret; two bone dot position markings behind fifth, ninth, twelfth, and seventeenth fret; single bone dot position marking behind twenty first and twenty fourth frets
Nut: walnut with nickel-plated copper wire saddle
Bridge: walnut with nickel-plated copper saddle under chord strings; ivory plastic with steel saddle under melody strings; walnut hand rest
Tuning Pins:
Chord string tuners: 35 steel tuning pins
Melody string tuners: 5 worm-gear tuners with ivory celluloid heads and nickel-silver cover plate engraved with floral design
Table-top Rests: 3 walnut round ball-shaped rests with sharp metal pointsDimensionsFretboard: 364 mm / 14-11/32 inches long, 56 mm / 2-3/16 inches wide
Body: 997 mm / 39-1/4 inches long, 467 mm / 18-3/8 inches wide
Melody string vibrating length: 438 mm / 17-1/4 inches
Highest chord string vibrating length: 443 mm / 17-7/16 inches
Lowest chord string vibrating length: 768 mm / 30-1/4 inchesProvenanceFriedrich Strobel made this instrument during his internment as an enemy alien at Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, during WWII. The zither's donors are Friedrich’s two children.
Credit LineGift of Fred and Elizabeth Strobel, 2012
Object number14669
On View
On view
1900-1920 ca.
