"Anniversary" Dulcimer
This Appalachian dulcimer was made by George Pickow for his wife, the folk singer and dulcimer player Jean Ritchie, on the occasion of their first wedding anniversary in 1952 and named by him the "Anniversary Dulcimer." It has the traditional hourglass shape of an Appalachian or Mountain dulcimer with three tuners in a scroll headstock. The sound holes in the sound board are heart shaped. It is inscribed inside the sound hole: Made for Jean Ritchie by George Pickow, Viper, Kentucky 1952. Jean Ritchie was a part of the first wave of the folk music revival along with musicians including Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly. She became known as "The Mother of Folk," and influenced later singers such as Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Judy Collins. She is credited with bringing the Appalachian dulcimer to a wider audience and her husband, George Pickow, made instruments that were sold at folk festivals around the country.
Artwork Details
- Title: "Anniversary" Dulcimer
- Maker: George Pickow (American, 1922–2010)
- Date: 1952
- Geography: Viper, Kentucky, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Walnut or poplar body, fir or pine soundboard, metal frets, bone nut and bridge
- Dimensions: 3 1/4 × 34 1/2 × 8 1/8 in. (8.3 × 87.6 × 20.6 cm)
- Classification: Chordophone-Zither-plucked
- Credit Line: Gift of Peter Pickow, in memory of Jean Ritchie, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.727a, b
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ken Parker
2016
Parker Guitars
Ken Parker
1987
Vega Company
ca. 1924
Angelo Mannello
1900
Lyon & Healy
mid 1940s
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.