Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - August 23, 1998
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society

Autoharps more than child’s play

Charles F. Zimmermann’s Autoharp Chorded Zither was patented May 9, 1882, in Philadelphia and was advertised as "the world’s most versatile musical instrument."

Alfred Dodge and Son Co. of Dolgeville, N.Y. manufactured the autoharps in three sizes: concert, adult and child. The concert autoharp had 49 strings and 63 to 72 chords, making it so large it had to be played on a table or a special stand.

A child’s autoharp is featured this week as the historical treasure. Manufactured after 1894, it has 21 strings and three chord bars and may be seen in the Vigo County Historical Museum’s parlor, where it might have been used to accompany an evening of family singing.

Today, the most popular autoharp is the adult size. It can be played by practically anyone, from children just learning to hear the beat of a musical piece to senior citizens whose fingers are no longer agile enough for the guitar or the piano.

Many folk artists use the autoharp. It can be found on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and at recording studios when musicians are looking for a unique sound.

Most autoharps still look just like they did 100 years ago but there have been some innovations. Some autoharps have chord bar protector plates and a few are electric. There are even stringless electric autoharps with built-in extras, such as the sound of drums or a memory bank to play back what was played.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.