The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Adrift in a sea of digital apps for every imaginable function, we often feel our needs are met better today than in any previous era. But consider the chatelaine, a device popularized in the 18th century that attached to the waist of a wo…
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
The mysterious packages kept arriving, some from eBay, others from the Home …
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
While researching her book, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," Maureen Stanton came across all sorts of characters. For years, she shadowed her antiques-dealer friend …
Bizarro Beauty Products, from 1889 to Now
We tend to think of the union of vanity and technology as a particularly modern affliction. It's only recently that science brought the world botox and collagen injections, skin peels, liposucti…
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Vintage kites from all over the world hang from the ceiling and walls of Richard Dermer’s popula…
Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
It’s easy to think of pin-up art as a charming relic of the old boys’ club—images that might line the walls …
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
It’s not unusual for men of a certain age to have a soft spot in their hearts for the look of vintage guitars and the sound…
Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War
A keepsake, an item that recognizes a loved one, strikes a deep, sentimental chord in each of us—particularly that of a sweetheart. The popularity of keepsakes grew in the United States during the period from 1917 to 1919 as our country ent…
American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Bikes
I was walking to school one day and saw all these bikes in the garbage. I was just amazed because I didn't have one and I found it incredible that anyone was throwing them out. So I gathered…
Autoharps | Fun with music32 of 34 |  |  |
devinofrank loves this.
lisa loves this.
Signaholic loves this.
FineLines likes this.
Esther110 loves this.
vetraio50 loves this.
officialfuel loves this.
jojomang likes this.Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate
Posted 2 years ago
stefdesign
(81 items)
This is my autoharp collection, all by Oscar Schmidt. I've been playing for over 40 years, and I love the look and sound of these wonderful instruments. Half of them are playable, and the other half are just fun to look at.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
GuitarsDuring the past 20 years, baby boomers looking to reclaim their lost, garag…
Music MemorabiliaIn so many ways, music is the soundtrack of our lives—whether we're driving…
I remember my second grade teacher playing one of these in class, and all of us singing along. It was all black.
Thanks for the memories, Stef!
Jeeze I love this site! So many forgotten memories brought back!
All autoharps have 36 strings, it's the number of chord bars that's the most important. Feel free to send me a photo of your 'harp, and I'll give you my opinion on its value. stefanieeskander@gmail.com
stefdesign: we have a Zither that has been in my wifes family for years-In the 1900 Sears catalog is illustrations, describtions and prices for several different styles available at the time.
Sounds like a real treasure! I also collect zithers, but don't have anything too fancy.
These are cool, I also have memories of a teacher playing one in class.
There's also quite a bit of history behind these where folk and roots music is concerned.