Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2006.006.001 |
Object Name |
Banjo |
Description |
This is a four-string banjo that was likely crafted in East Tennessee, or more broadly, the American South. The banjo features ivory/bone pegs, an alternating wood inlay on the peghead and neck, and an alternating wood inlay on the central dowel stick. There are 24 hooks and nuts around the circumference of the shell, and a metal tailpiece. The neck includes inlaid ivory circles extending the length of one side. The neck appears to be made of walnut. The banjo is marked with the text "Patented 876430" and "No. 77." The following research excerpt was submitted by a Reece Museum volunteer in November 2024. The research sources used to write this submission can be made available upon request. "William Theodore (Bill) Becker was born in 1936 in Champaign, Illinois where he attended University High School. Becker received his Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois. For 35 years, he taught at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and retired from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering shortly before his death. Becker enjoyed folk music and amassed an extensive collection of folk recordings. This collection was eventually donated to the East Tennessee State University Archives of Appalachia. He played guitar, banjo and dulcimer, playing mostly for fun with friends. Becker's favorite music was "old-timey" mountain music and train songs. He was a model railroader and served as an officer in the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). Becker contributed to the establishment of the NMRA's Kalmbach Memorial Library in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Becker was an authority in the fields of Mechanical Properties and Failure Analysis of metals. Becker's professional contributions were countless including with the American Society of Metals (ASM). He served as Faculty Sponsor of the Student Chapter of ASM. His 28 years of teaching for ASM earned Becker awards for distinguished instruction and service. Becker's expertise was sought by federal and military agencies, insurance companies, and legal and industrial firms for whom he served as a consultant. In a Knoxville News Sentinel article published shortly after his death on January 5, 2006, Becker's wife, Peg, said: 'He was an original. He was a person who did not suffer fools. He was old school. His goal was perfection.'" |
Date |
early 20th century |
Dimensions |
H-2.953 W-11.22 L-38.583 inches |
Collection |
Dr. William T. Becker Collection |
Material |
walnut, metal, ivory |
Subjects |
music |
Search Terms |
Musical Instrument |