On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Trumpet Call harmonicas
Hohner German
Paul Butterfield
Not on view
The harmonica (nicknamed “harp” by blues players) has been used by generations of rock and roll musicians influenced by blues tradition, especially Little Walter Jacobs’s of the Muddy Waters band. This set of harmonicas in a repurposed clarinet case was used by Paul Butterfield, founder and bandleader of the Butterfield Blues Band. He kept his main harps in common keys on top of the case’s red cover, with backup instruments in the interior. The large decorative harmonica was a gift from Hohner. Butterfield’s group, also featuring influential guitarist Mike Bloomfield, performed at iconic events such as the 1965 Newport Folk Festival,
the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, and Woodstock in 1969.
Technical Description:
Collection of diatonic harmonicas in all keys, different Hohner models including Trumpet Call, Golden Melody, and Pocket Pal; stored in clarinet case
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