Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2003.03.01 |
Object Type |
Marimba |
Creator |
J. C. Deagan, Inc. |
Title |
Model 54 "Masterpiece" Marimba |
Description |
Deagan Model 54 Masterpiece Marimba. 4 octave, C to C. Wood bars are strung with dark green string. Slight scratches throughout bars. Wood support beams with felt between keys. Metal resonators. Wood and metal end boards have Deagan catalog and model numbers on low end. Deagan logo in front keyboard. Metal frame with black wheels. |
Dimensions |
H-36 W-32 L-71 inches |
People |
J. C. Deagan, Inc. |
Date |
c. 1934-39 |
Additional Research |
Manufactured between 1934 and 1939, the Deagan 50 Series "Masterpiece" marimbas were designed not only for tonal excellence, but also to be both portable and sturdy enough to tolerate rough use by a traveling percussionist. This instrument was the last of a long line of Deagan instruments that used a tube frame design originally known as their "De Luxe Wheel Rack" manufactured from tubing and featuring large caster wheels. The instrument was favored both by public school programs in search of durable, portable instruments of quality and by professional performers for the stage, radio, and dance bands and orchestras. The supporting rails and chromium-plated resonators each split into two pieces, allowing the entire instrument to be packed into either one trunk for shipping or into three cases for easy transportation by a single performer. The Model 50 Series was available as either Model 52, with a 3 1/2-octave range of F (below middle C) to C, or as Model 54, with a 4-octave range of C (one octave below middle C) to C. Model 54 had bars 2 1/4 by 15/16 inches to 1 5/8 by 3/4 inches in size, which vary in length from 17 3/4 to 7 1/4 inches. Weighing 123 lbs., the instrument stands 35 inches tall and is 68 inches in length. The original cost in Deagan's Catalog No.101 (c. 1937) was $280. Percussive Notes, October 2003. Deagan Model 54 Masterpiece Marimba Mfg. 1934-1939 The "50 Series" marimbas were praised in the Deagan catalog of the mid-1930s for their sturdy design and portability - "ideal for Marimba Orchestras and school work." Prospective buyers were assured that "soloists, radio stars, stage artists and drummers have known and loved this instrument for years." With this walnut-finished rails and chromium-plated hardware and frame, the Masterpiece marimba stands at the end of a long tradition of keyboard instrument design and manufacture in America. By 1937, however, this popular instrument was forced to compete with - and was replaced by - Deagan's more stylish Imperial marimba. The Imperial was promoted as "the greatest creative accomplishment in the history of this instrument" primarily because it was designed to be welcomed "as a piece of furniture befitting the well appointed home." Its streamlined "Tuscan bronze" end-panels and Lustro-Gold resonators were "fresh, modern, and unprecedented. While it is a veritable blend of beauty for the orchestra, stage and concert hall, it is exceptionally well appointed for the home and drawing room." Within two years, the rather old-fashioned, open-frame Masterpiece marimba was dropped altogether from the Deagan line. This Model 54 Masterpiece marimba has a range of four octaves, beginning at the C below middle-C. It weighs 123 pounds, was transported in three cases, and originally sold for $280. By contrast, the elegant new "60 Series" Imperial was priced between $325 and $500. It was produced until 1942, when wartime manufacture of non-essential material was severely curtailed. Donated by the Family of Martin Edwin Trapp, Jr. PAS Museum Exhibit Label |
Credit line |
Gift of the Family of Martin Edwin Trapp, Jr. |