Census

Here's a "census" of all the Franklin era armonicas I've been able to find.

Franklin Museum

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Benjamin Franklin's Own Armonica!

It's missing about half of its glasses, and nowhere near playable, but isn't it wonderful that it survived at all?

The usual home of Franklin's armonica is the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, USA. But in 2006, the 300th anniversay of Franklin's birth, an exhibit of Franklin artifacts—including his armonica—is touring the United States and Paris. When the tour opened in St. Louis, I was invited to give armonica concerts as part of the opening festivities. While I was there, I was permitted by the curator (before the exhibition opened to the public) to examine Franklin's instrument as close as I wanted (sorry, no touching and no pictures).

Meanwhile, the only pictures of Franklin's instrument for the general public are the expected variations of the same-old perspective from the front, so this afforded me the opportunity to make some new observations about the Mother Armonica:

It's one thing to read about these things in history books; it's another thing to see Franklin's own armonica glasses, inscribed with 'G+' (for G#) by his own hand, up close and personal!!
There is no 'trough' for the water, or possibility thereof (as an occasional source has asserted).
The left-hand drawer works (comes out, somewhere to put stuff), the right-hand drawer is 'fake' (doesn't come out at all).
Currently the museum has put foam-rubber under the glasses (inside of the case—where the public can't see it) to help support the glasses (good idea!!).

Bakken Collection

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Click for home website

Corning Museum of Glass

Location: Corning, NY

Click for home website

Pohl, C. T. Bohemia, Kreibitz (bowls); "about 1818-1830; 1930-1939"

Cutler Gallery

Location: University of South Dakota

Click for home website

Handel Hause

Location: Halle, Germany

Click for home website

R. Hack, London, about 1850

Horniman Museum

Location: South London, England

Click for home website

See Taylor, Charles; Sounds of Music; (1976) Charles Scribner's Sons; NY; ISBN 0684154765; p.40ff

The author of this book asserts that only Adagio (slow) music can be played on the armonica because 'the notes take a considerable time to emerge' (p. 41). SUGGESTION: PRACTICE! Folks can't play fast music on the piano (or any other musical instrument) in the beginning either!

Kreibitz, Boemen

Location: ?

Click for home website

by C.F. Pohl, Chribska, 19th century (see Buchner, A; Musikinstrumente von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart; (1972) Dausien, Prague; ISBN 3768442713; 272