Instrument: Banjo owned by Nancy Fish Barnum, 1888
Musical Instrument
String Instrument
1888 (Date manufactured/created)
Five-string banjo dating from 1888 that originally belonged to Nancy Fish Barnum, P. T. Barnum’s second wife. A silver plate where the neck joins the head of the banjo features Mrs. Barnum's engraved initials and the date, enclosed within a circle. The beauty of the instrument and the presence of her initials and date suggest the possibility it was a gift to her. There is elaborate attention to detail all over the instrument, with the fingerboard decorated with inlaid mother of pearl designs, pegs made of ivory, and where the tuning keys (pegs) connect to the instrument, butterflies are engraved in the metal The banjo is currently in fair to poor condition. It had been moved cross-country over the years, from Connecticut to Florida to Washington state, causing breakage, and the changes in climate and humidity probably damaged the skin of the head.
At the time of Nancy Barnum's departure from Bridgeport to live in Europe after P. T. Barnum's death, she gave this banjo to the donor’s grandfather. She gave a number of her favorite items to friends of the family. The recipient family and the Barnums had known each other well, as they had had adjacent church pews at the Old South Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and were long acquainted. The recipient of the banjo passed it to his son, and the son then passed it to his daughter.
It is known that Nancy was very fond of this banjo, along with a Japanese vase (pictured), as the two items appear in several photos of the Barnum home, Marina, including one that is a portrait of Nancy Fish Barnum. At the time this banjo was made, there was a movement in the music world to elevate its status from a "lowly" instrument to becoming the American equivalent of the European violin. Until that time, the banjo was associated only with minstrelry and folk music of the South, especially due to the instrument's roots in African musical heritage. Banjos and banjo music were popularized in the northern states during the Civil War. This particular instrument with its very fine detailing, is representative of the era when there was an effort to bring the banjo into its own Golden Age as an "American" instrument. This banjo may be a Dobson or Buckbee instrument but further research is needed.
At the time of Nancy Barnum's departure from Bridgeport to live in Europe after P. T. Barnum's death, she gave this banjo to the donor’s grandfather. She gave a number of her favorite items to friends of the family. The recipient family and the Barnums had known each other well, as they had had adjacent church pews at the Old South Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and were long acquainted. The recipient of the banjo passed it to his son, and the son then passed it to his daughter.
It is known that Nancy was very fond of this banjo, along with a Japanese vase (pictured), as the two items appear in several photos of the Barnum home, Marina, including one that is a portrait of Nancy Fish Barnum. At the time this banjo was made, there was a movement in the music world to elevate its status from a "lowly" instrument to becoming the American equivalent of the European violin. Until that time, the banjo was associated only with minstrelry and folk music of the South, especially due to the instrument's roots in African musical heritage. Banjos and banjo music were popularized in the northern states during the Civil War. This particular instrument with its very fine detailing, is representative of the era when there was an effort to bring the banjo into its own Golden Age as an "American" instrument. This banjo may be a Dobson or Buckbee instrument but further research is needed.
Gift of
2017.003.001