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1834
An
1834 spruce, maple, ebony, ivory and mother-of-pearl guitar built by C.F.
Martin, c. 1834, shortly after the legendary guitar maker opened his business
in New York City.
The
artistry and craftsmanship of these early instruments are featured in a new
exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Early American
Guitars: The Instruments of C. F. Martin."
By
CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, Courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives; Metropolitan Museum of Art
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C.F. Martin (1796-1873)
Born
in Saxony, Germany, in 1796, Christian Friedrich Martin was the son of a
cabinetmaker who also built guitars.
In addition to carrying through traditional
guitar elements (such as the Stauffer headstock), Martin was also an innovator,
introducing X-bracing - a key element of the modern American guitar – to the
instrument's design.
Credit: Martin & Co.
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Vienna
This
Terz guitar (Legnani model, serial number 1309) was built in Vienna by Johann
Georg Stauffer and Johann Anton Stauffer, c. 1828-30.
C.F.
Martin apprenticed at the Stauffer guitar shop before emigrating to America.
Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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New York City
After his apprenticeship in Vienna, C.F. Martin emigrated in 1833 to the United States, where he opened a musical instrument store at 196 Hudson Street in Manhattan.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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1837
An 1837 guitar built by C.F. Martin, constructed from spruce,
maple, mother-of-pearl, abalone and mastic.
The guitar is an example of Martin's earliest guitars, which featured a design he brought with him from Vienna: a headstock with tuning keys all on one side.
Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Headstock
Detail of the headstock of a Viennese Stauffer-style Presentation
Guitar by C. F. Martin, from 1837. From the collection of Peter Szego.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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1837
C.F. Martin's 1837 guitar (serial no.
1114), made from spruce, rosewood, ivory, mother-of-pearl and abalone.
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives/Metropolitan Museum of Art
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1837
Detail of a presentation guitar built by C.F. Martin in
1837, from the C. F. Martin Museum Collection.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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Hearts
A detail of hearts (or "Herschen") on the bridge
of a Viennese Stauffer-style guitar built by C. F. Martin, c. 1830s.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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Pennsylvania
In the late 1830s C.F. Martin moved to Pennsylvania, and was
selling his handmade guitars throughout the country.
Left: A C.F.
Martin-built guitar (dating from between 1843 and 1852), made from spruce,
rosewood, ebony, ivory, mother-of-pearl and mastic.
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives/Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Detail
Detail of C.F. Martin's spruce, rosewood, ebony, ivory, mother-of-pearl and mastic, built between 1843 and 1852.
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives/Metropolitan Museum of Art
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1840s
A guitar built by
C.F. Martin, c. 1843-48, constructed from spruce, rosewood, ivory, and mother-of-pearl.
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives/Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Factory Floor
An undated photo of workers in the C.F. Martin & Co. guitar factory.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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1838
An 1838 guitar built by C.F. Martin and Charles
Bruno, of spruce, rosewood, cedar, ebony, ivory and mother-of-pearl.
Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Ornamental
Detail of ornamental soundboard of a Martin & Coupa
Guitar by C. F. Martin, c. 1841-42. From the collection of Peter Szego.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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Ambrotype
A glass-negative ambrotype, c. 1850s, of a musician holding a Martin guitar.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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1859
Closeup of detailing in the "2 1/2-40 Guitar" by
C. F. Martin from 1859, from the collection of Peter Szego.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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1840s
A guitar built by
C.F. Martin, c. 1843-48, constructed from spruce, rosewood, ivory, and mother-of-pearl.
Credit: John Sterling Ruth, courtesy of C. F. Martin Archives/Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Pegs
Closeup of the headstock of a Martin & Coupa Guitar by
C. F. Martin, showing friction pegs.
From the collection of Peter Szego.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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1846
Detail of the Col. Wilkins Guitar,
built by C. F. Martin, c. 1846. From the collection of Peter Szego.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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10-String
C.F. Martin's 10-string Harp guitar, c. 1859-60.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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Harp Guitar
Detail of the headstock of C.F. Martin's
10-string Harp guitar.
Credit: Courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.
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Spain
This beautiful spruce, walnut, cedar, ebony and mother-of-pearl
guitar was built by a contemporary of C.F. Martin: Antonio de Lorca García of
Malaga, Spain.
Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Boston
Another contemporary of Martin's whose work is in the Met's exhibition was Bostonian Heinrich
(Henry) Schatz. He built this guitar, c. 1845-50, out of spruce, macassar
ebony, ivory, mastic and mother-of-pearl.
Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Man In Black
A list of noted musicians who didn't
play with Martin Guitars would be considerable shorter than a list of those who
did.
Among the Martin artists were Woody Guthrie, Elvis
Presley, Gene Autry, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Neko
Case, Eddie Vedder, and the Man in Black, Johnny Cash.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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Apprentice or Master
Sting is pictured playing a Martin guitar.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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Speak For Me
John Mayer poses with a Martin guitar.
Credit: Courtesy C.F. Martin & Co.
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1939
Credit: Instagram photo by Anthony Mason/CBS News
