HOW OUR ELECTRONIC CATALOGUE WORKS

Objects in the catalogue have been divided into categories to aid browsing. For instruments, the Hornbostel and Sachs classification system has been used. This system sorts instruments into the following categories based on how they produce sound.

• idiophones
• membranophones
• chordophones
• aerophones
• electrophones

The catalogue also contains objects related to musical instruments, which have been divided into the following categories:

• archival material - (e.g. photographs, production records, tutors/instruction methods)
• component - (e.g. mutes, mouthpieces, bows)
• tool - (tools used for making musical instruments).

The page for each instrument contains information divided up into the fields below. If no information for a field is available, the field does not appear.

Object name: an instrument's standard name, usually the term used in the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (ed. S. Sadie, London: 1984). Alternative names for instruments are included in the first line of the description.

Museum number: the Horniman's inventory number for the object. Please cite this number if you write to us about an object.

Description: a technical description of the instrument including information about design, materials, specific measurements and inscriptions.

Commentary: this includes information about the instrument's provenance, such as who used it and where it was played and also information to help place the instrument in a broader context when this is not readily available elsewhere.

Maker: the name of the individual or firm that made the object.

Place made: the geographical location where the object was made.

Date made: when known, the year when an object was made. Sometimes it has only been possible to specify an approximate date or timeframe during which the object was probably made.

Collection: the Horniman has been able to acquire a number of important collections made by individuals and institutions. When an object is part of one of these collections, the name of the collection appears in this field. Objects from the following named collections have been included in the catalogue: Adam Carse Collection, Boosey & Hawkes Collection, Dolmetsch Collection, Neil Wayne Collection.

Materials: a basic list of the materials out of which the object is made.

Measurements: overall measurements of the object's length, width and depth. These are general measurements made for display and storage purposes. More specific measurements, such as sounding length, are given in the description field when they are available.