Glass Harmonica

Made:
1862 in Czech Republic
maker:
E Pohl
Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass harmonica, in mahogany case, made by E Pohl, Bohemia. L
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Glass Harmonica in mahogany case, E. Pohl, Czech Republic, 1862.

Invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761 to refine the idea behind ‘singing glasses’, the glass harmonica consists of a series of glass bells (bowls) which are affixed in regular order with an iron rod running horizontally through them. The performer rotated the bells through a simple foot pedal mechanism and played the harmonica by moistening their fingers and pressing them against the rotating bells. The harmonica produced different tones which were determined by the size and thickness of the glass bowl (rather than the amount of water inside them). This example of a glass harmonica was made by E. Pohl, a member of one of the most well-known glass harmonica manufacturers in Europe.

Details

Category:
Acoustics
Object Number:
1866-1
Materials:
glass, mahogany (wood) and iron
Measurements:
overall: 900 mm x 1225 mm
type:
glass harmonica and musical instrument
credit:
Pohl, C F