Hello all, The first time I saw the picture, I immediately thought "Franciolini," and I'm surprised the suggestion hasn't come up before this. The time period (re: the book the picture is from) is correct; many Englishmen were heading to Italy and coming back with souvenirs, and many of these ended up in museums (needless to say, some are still there :>)--but most have been weeded out, or at least identified. As far as being able to tell an old instrument from a new one...Franciolini frequently created pastiches from original elements; and if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say that's probably what's in the photo: an original body and neck with a new soundboard and peghead, perhaps.
Just a thought, and there may be something I'm missing to explain why this idea hasn't surfaced earlier, in which case I'm anxious to learn. Cheers, Kevin McDermott Groveland, Essex Co., Mass. USA > From: Frank Nordberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:29:55 +0200 > To: cittern <[email protected]> > Subject: [CITTERN] Re: Crazy lute or cittern or... > > Brad McEwen wrote: > >> A theatrical prop used for a 19th C. Shakespearian play perhap? > > I think we can rule that possibility out. Naylor lived in the dark ages > of musicology and was of course misinformed and/or ignorant about much > regarding the topic he tried to handle. But he would certainly have been > able to tell an old instrument from a new one and I think we can trust > his honesty. > I forgot to mention that he got the instrument - and most of the others > in the book's only picture - from South Kensington Museum. I understand > that's what is called the Victoria and Albert Museum today. Apparently > only the virginal is still in their collection though. > > Here's the complete picture: > http://www.pictures-clipart-graphics.com/files/na/naylor1896-000g-a-bg.jpg > > > > Frank Nordberg > http://www.musicaviva.com > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
