Lyon & Healy: the American Harp

Ian Mcvoy

About this exposition

The design of the pedal harp underwent a series of dramatic changes at the turn of the century, most of them attributable to the inventive minds at a Chicago-based musical instrument manufacturer and music publisher, Lyon & Healy. Of the many innovations of the Lyon & Healy company, three of the utmost importance to the development of the instrument: the “adjustable fourchette,” allowing simple regulation of the harp’s tuning in the natural and sharp positions, the “single-link mechanism,” an internal change to the mechanism greatly simplifying both function and manufacture, and lastly the “extended soundboard,” an extension of the soundbox of the instrument allowing for greater volume. Each of these improvements has since been adopted by every modern-day harp maker. This paper endeavors to combine original patents, miscellaneous historical documents, and evidence gathered from extant historical instruments by Lyon & Healy to identify each of the above and other specific changes, their inventors, the time of their introduction, as well as the overall motivation behind each of these important changes.

type	research exposition
keywords	harp, instrument design, patents, inventors
date	21/11/2021
published	18/07/2022
last modified	18/07/2022
status	published
share status	private
copyright	n/a
license	CC BY-NC-ND
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1432123/1432181
doi	https://doi.org/10.22501/koncon.1432123
published in	KC Research Portal
portal issue	1. Master Research Projects

name	Durkee patent illustration
copyright	Public Domain
license	Public domain
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name	crochet diagram
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	clermont springs
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	stacked and linear levers
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Moveable string nut
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	Public domain
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name	challiot doors
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-12 at 8.00.00 PM
copyright	Jean-Marc Anglès
license	All rights reserved
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name	clermont full view
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Hochbrucker mechanism diagram
copyright	PD
license	All rights reserved
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name	crutch mechanism diagram
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	Public domain
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name	crochet pedals erard
copyright	PD
license	All rights reserved
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name	Early harp pedal being operated
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
usages	video

name	Hook harp
copyright	Public Domain
license	Public domain
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name	erard fourchette diagram
copyright	PD
license	All rights reserved
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name	Fourchette diagram
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Erard 1802 pedal
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-13 at 2.56.32 PM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	challiot pedal box
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Challiot video edited
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
usages	video

name	Challiot pillar
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
usages	picture

name	erard final pedals
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	erard gothic
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-15 at 11.18.32 AM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	Y2Mate.is - Bach-French Suite in B minor BWV 814 on a 140 year old Erard Harp-xuyGV8aQyZs-1080p-1645373669634
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
usages	video

name	Screen Shot 2022-02-14 at 7.57.10 PM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	brown painting
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	22 linkage
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	adjustable fourchette
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	extended soundboard
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	spindle
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	LH spindle
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	laminated neck
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	23 action plate
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
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name	washer
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	service-rbc-rbpe-rbpe12-rbpe121-12101400-001dr
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-15 at 12.43.29 PM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	mechanism cutaway
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-15 at 6.34.38 PM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	Screen Shot 2022-02-15 at 7.01.31 PM
copyright	PD
license	Public domain
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name	rhap in blue clip
copyright	Ian Mcvoy
license	All rights reserved
usages	video

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Lyon & Healy: the American Harp (2022)

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