What is a Symphonichord?

As a youth, Henry Nowak emigrated to the United States from Austria. Growing up in Hoboken, NJ, he found employment as a musician and eventually with Vaudeville where he toured the US and Europe extensively. As a professional musician he was also inventive and mechanically inclined, and with this his creativity found a unique outlet. In this article we discuss the Symphonichord, one of his favorite musical inventions.

For the Record

As the record gained popular appeal, labels such as Columbia, Edison and Victor sought artists in order to grow their ever expanding catalog of musical offerings. Records produced here in the US included numerous zither selections by musicians with roots in German-speaking countries. In this article, we explore these early zither recordings.

Zitherist A. W. Schepp

This photo comes to us courtesy of Raymond Tidrow. Shown here with his perfecta zither is Raymond's great-grandfather, A. W. Schepp. Born in Magdeburg, Germany, A. W. Schepp began playing the zither at age 12 and immigrated to the US as a teenager. His enthusiasm for the zither came to fruition through the formation of the American Zither Verband in 1912.

World War I-era Postcards

Light and inexpensive, the zither was a popular instrument in the household as well as for those requiring a portable form of entertainment. As such, it's no surprise that the zither appeared in group photographs of German and Austrian soldiers during periods of leisure. The interpretation, transcription and translation of the World War I-era postcards presented here have been kindly provided by Jane Curtis.

Zither Patents

In the late 1800s, the zither reached a pinnacle of popularity in the U.S. With so many zither players, creative minds sought to improve the instrument or engineer accessories for playing. The rights to these inventions were secured through the issuance of patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This article presents several of these early zither patents and their respective inventors.

Zither Programs

From the mid-1800s to present day, audiences in the US have been entertained by the sounds of the zither. Music programs often included solo performances, with ensemble and multi-voice zither arrangements of selected works. The pieces performed were familiar to the German speaking regions of Europe, but popular American favorites were also included. This page provides a sampling of those past performances.

American Zither Verband, Second Congress, 1913

A Baltimore Zither

Born in Eibenstock, Germany, William Teubner immigrated to the US to seek new opportunities in Baltimore, Maryland's thriving port community. As a talented craftsman, he was known for his work as a furniture maker, carver and manufacturer of musical instruments. In this article we discuss his life and a restoration of one of his surviving works — a concert zither.

Kitty Berger, Harp-Zitherist

In this article we explore the life of Kitty Berger, a zitherist from Austria and early recording artist with Victor and Edison records. After receiving notoriety in Europe for her musical abilities, she traveled to England and America with her zither. A recognized talent on the instrument of her homeland, she was invited to perform for heads of state in the White House and Windsor Castle.

Chicago Zither Club

This circa 1930 photo of the Chicago Zither Club comes to us courtesy of Jeff Baader. Jeff's grandfather, Henry Baader, is shown seated in the second row, far right. Henry Baader immigrated to the US in 1927 and arrived with only a few possessions, one of which was a zither made by Ignaz Roider in Munich. Also seated in the same row, second in from the far left, is Rudy Wacek, inventor of the electric zither.