Featured What musical instrument is she playing?

Anything special about this card photo? Was going to post on Ebay if value was at least $10-15. Condition is good, but does have all those signatures. Also how to describe the musical instrument? Lap harp? Thanks.

 

Thought it was a Harpsichord......but it isn't. cant think of the name of it. Auto Harp Maybe/

 

Looks like what was called an "auto-harp" back in the 50's.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoharp

 

Here's information on the photography studio.

Debora

 

Hi Debora,

I don't think the link came through. Thanks for your help!

 

I do that all the time. (Forget the link.) Apologies once again.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1259455/photograph-of-frank-le-dent-photograph-hana-studios-ltd/

Debora

 

Perhaps a "zither"?

 

Zither would be my guess!!!

 

I thought zither too, but she seems to be pressing keys with her left hand, that would make it an auto-harp.

 

zither music:

 

This is a zither, but not an autoharp.
An autoharp has felted bars going across the strings, which mute the notes that are not part of each chord. Technically the term autoharp was trademarked by the Oscar Schmidt company and their successors, though the use of the name has been the source of conflicting lawsuits and out-of-court settlements. (An autoharp is a specific type of zither)
This is a zither, but there were hundreds of types of zithers at the turn of the last century. This particular type has a fretboard along one side, like a mandolin or guitar fretboard, and she is fretting the melody on that fretboard with her left hand. The other strings are grouped to produce a variety of chords.
This is the type of zither used to play the "Third Man" theme;
the photo and video below show Anton Karas playing the theme on such a zither.

 

For comparison, here's some autoharp music. Yours truly and spouse...

 

That is you playing, All Fakes? Very nice!!!

Thanks for all of the responses!

 

I'm always so impressed by the obscure (to me) things members of these forums are knowledgable about. Zither vs. autoharp. Who knew?

Debora

 

Now I'll be hearing the Third Man theme in my head all day. My parents watched the TV show with Michael Rennie.

 

Looks like an 1890s cabinet card photo. I'm not home right now, but I believe that I have a photo by that studio, of a musician. So Hana studio may have taken performers. And I see from Debora's link that the studio where the owner worked in Chicago specialized in theatrical performers.

Oh, and I think the value would be over $10, for sure. It's hard to put an exact amount because it kind of depends on who happens to see it and when. So can't guarantee a price, but I would say to do auction rather than Buy It Now, and price the first bid at the lowest you'd be comfortable with getting for it.

 

Yes....dah-da-dum, da-dum da-dum......

My wife is on the board of directors for an autoharp camp in Oregon, so in self-defense I have to know a lot about autoharps.
I can arrange music for autoharp, teach workshops in autoharp technique, accompany autoharpers....even though I don't play the autoharp; I'm a mandolin/octave mando/violin/banjo/guitar guy....

 

And to think - all I can play is opossum................................

and a self-protection whistle I keep forgetting to put in my pocket when I go out after dark.......................

 

Victorian Parlor Instruments were very popular back in the day, we had a couple, a ukelin, a tremelo, and a couple zithers and auto harps, really fun to play I liked the ukelin the best link is to a site that shows and names several different Parlor Instruments.
http://www.minermusic.com/cc/holly,ivy.htm