The Musician – 1887

By Léon François Comerre, French Academic School. I think this familiar looking instrument comes from Africa via the Arabic world and is generally called a tanbūr. A sort of distant uncle to the modern banjo, America’s African instrument. The only thing missing is the drone string. Advertisements

Soldier’s Joy, Saturday Morning Music

Enjoy a little fiddle music to start the weekend off right. I’m stuck with snow and ice and little outdoor work is appealing today.

Study of a Banjo Player

Musician

From the New York Public Library Collections. Access like this is what makes the internet truly great. Click the image to browse the collections.

Street Harper

Found at Vintage Everyday.

On the Road

Musicians hitting the road. Vintage photo found on Tumblr HERE. No other information was supplied. Got the guitar, dog, and stove. Let’s go…

Wandering Minstral

Another painting by the Scottish artist John Burr (1831-1893). An itinerant fiddler plays for a family in a Scottish lane. I can’t help but think the father looking out has a skeptical look; possibly wondering what this will cost in the end. Music and storytelling were a very different commodity prior to recordings and the […]

A Gypsy Fortune Telling

Adrien Moreau, French artist (1834–1906)