Illustrated London News Vol 56 (page 3/4)

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: C.—Dulcimer

“The dulcimer is Italian, with twenty-six sets of metal strings, to be played with two little hammers.” (p. 368)

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: D.—Machête.

“The machête, or small guitar, shaped like a fish, is a Portugese instrument, from Madeira.” (p. 368)

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: E.—Quinterna, of Chiterna

The quinterna, or chiterna, made at Hamburg in 1539, is ornamented with tortoise-shell, ivory figures, and precious stones; it has ten strings of cat-gut.” (p. 368) [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: F.—Guitar

“[F] is an Italian Guitar of the sixteenth century, which seems to have been mounted with five sets of strings, fouor sets having three strings each, and one set having four strings, each set tuned in unison; the wood is inlaid [...] [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: G.—Flauto dolce, or flûte à bec.

The Flauto dolce, or sweet flute, is called in English the Recorder.; in French is is the flûte à bec or beaked flute. [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: H.—Vielle, or Hurdy-Gurdy

“The French vielle, which we should call a hurdy-gurdy, bears the date of 1550, and the monograms of Catherine de Medici and of Henri II., with the Royal arms of France; it has ten ivory keys and six tuning pegs; it is decorated, in black [...] [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: K.—Violin.

“The Earl of Warwick sends a boxwood violin, carved with woodland scenes, bearing the date of 1578, which was given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Leicester, and which our present Queen [Victoria] examined with particular interest when [...] [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: L.—Italian Kit, or Small Fiddle.

“The remaining articles shown in our Illustration are two kits, or small fiddles, one being Italian, of the date 1600 [...]” (p. 368)

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: M.—Italian Lute, about 1580

Judging by the tuning pins there are 17 strings on this instrument, but I’m not sure it’s wise to take the illustration too literally.

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: N.—Viola di Bordone

A Violoa di Bordone is a stringed musical instrument played with a bow. It is a sort of viol with cat-gut strings, but with a second, parallel set of metal strings. The metal strings are not played with the bow directly, but resonate in sympathy with the catgut ones. It is also called a Baryton. This one, from a collection in the Kensington Museum, [...] [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: O.—Harp-Lute

“The instrument called a harp-lute, with twelve strings, was invented by Edward Light, of London, about seventy years ago, and was designed for accompanying vocal [...] [more...]

Musical Instruments at the South Kensington Museum: Q.—Castanets.

“[...] with two pair of modern castanets, one ivory and the other ebony, which require no special notice.” (p. 368)