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Paul and Jean Christian Collection and Archive
The Collection . . .The Paul and Jean Christian Collection and Archive (St. Paul, Minnesota), donated to the NMM in 2006, includes a collection of 2,381 Western and non-Western musical instruments, accompanied by an extensive archive of books, periodicals, music, musical instrument manufacturers' trade materials, auction catalogs, photographs, journals, scrapbooks, sound recordings, and documentary correspondence. The Christians began collecting musical instruments following a move to Minneapolis in 1961, where Paul was hired as a Professor and Chairman of the Biology Department at Bethel College (now Bethel University). Jean, who served as an Adjunct Professor of Organ at Bethel for 25 years, began collecting zithers as a hobby in 1962, spending her Saturdays at flea markets, antique shops, and thrift stores. It wasn't long before Paul joined his wife and contributed his skills in taxonomy to organize and document the zithers in great detail. The sheer number and variety of zithers and other musical instruments that the Christians encountered over the years intrigued and encouraged them to continue expanding the parameters of their collecting interests. The heart of the Christian Collection, however, always centered around their systematic assemblage of more than 500 zithers and an archive of zither-related materials representing musical traditions and cultures from around the world.
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NMM 12882. Alpine zither (Arion harp zither) by Franz Schwarzer, Washington, Missouri, 1888. Custom Special model. Serial number 2988. Fabric lettering glued to case lining:OBSEQUIO DE / EPIFANIO ALVAREZ / A SU HIJO / GUILLERMO. / S. PABLO, M. 43 strings (5 melody, 38 accompaniment). Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |
NMM 11540. Turtle shell dance rattle, Iroquois Nation, Northeastern North America, late 19th century. Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentine) resonator with deer tibia handle. Small vertebrae lashed to shell sound along with contents of rattle, typically corn or small stones. In the Iroquois tradition, the turtle is a symbol of creation and life. According to oral tradition, the turtle came from a place below the earth. On its journey to the surface, animals sprang from the mud and clung to the turtle’s back. Rattles like this are played in Iroquois longhouses by beating them on the edge of wooden benches. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |  |
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NMM 12534. Folk dulcimer, U.S.A., ca. 1900-1930. Homemade folk instrument resembling form of mountain dulcimer, using a pesticide spreader for the body. One string. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |
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NMM 10986. Qanun, Turkey, after 1920. Seventy-two strings. The design and size of this zither matches Turkish practices and has been dated after 1920, when microtonal bridges (below) were thought to have been adopted. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. 
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NMM 11255. Electric Lap Steel Guitar by National-Dobro Corporation, Chicago, ca. 1937-1938. Dobro Electric Hawaiian Guitar. Serial number B2738. In 1937, National-Dobro began to produce a wood-bodied instrument, discontinuing its aluminum lap steel the same year. This example features headstock veneer and fingerboard made from imitation-wood-grained, laminated plastic, which when engraved, reveals an ivory-colored layer underneath. The fingerboard positions are marked with Roman numerals rather than dots. In 1938, the instrument was offered for $45 (or $100 with the accompanying 10-watt amplifier) with a case for an additional $6. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |  |
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NMM 10989. Pluriarc (multi-neck harp), Benin (southwestern Nigeria), early 20th century. Eight strings. Probably played by the Edo speaking people of the area, where the tradition dates back to the days of ancient Benin. Played to accompany music and poetry. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |
NMM 11903. Mandolin by Vega, Boston, ca. 1910-1925. J. F. Stetson brand. Distributed by W. J. Dyer & Bro., Minneapolis. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |  |
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NMM 12881. Alpine zither (Arion harp zither) by Franz Schwarzer workshop, Washington, Missouri, ca. 1920. Custom Special Arion Harp Zither; Mittenwalder Form. Serial number 10517. 43 strings (5 melody, 38 accompaniment). Original zither table. Custom built for Emma Wellisch, prominent zither virtuoso in St. Paul, Minnesota, whose biography and photographs are preserved in the Christian Archive (see link below). This superb table zither is the last instrument acquired by Paul and Jean Christian before they decided to donate their entire collection to the NMM. Ex coll.: Emma Wellisch. Paul and Jean Christian Collection, 2006. |
* Note: Scrapbooks include newspaper clippings from 1917-1924 and 1936-1937, relating to Minneapolis College of Music; also, programs and concert bills from Minneapolis College of Music performances between 1921-1924.
Access to the Paul and Jean Christian Collection and Archive is available by appointment in the NMM's Sally Fantle Archival Research Center.
