1920 Lyon & Healy Style 23 Gold Concert Harp
The Lyon & Healy Style 23 concert harp in gold finish, produced in the early 20th century, represents American instrument manufacturing at its most ambitious and refined. Lyon & Healy of Chicago has been making harps since 1889, and their Style 23 concert grand is the professional standard of their output, an instrument that combines engineering excellence with the visual grandeur appropriate to a concert stage instrument.
Lyon & Healy: Chicago's Harp Legacy
Lyon & Healy was established in Chicago in 1864 as a music retailer before entering instrument manufacturing. Their harp production, which began in earnest in the 1880s-1890s, quickly established them as the premier American harp maker and one of the world's leading manufacturers. To this day, Lyon & Healy remains the largest harp manufacturer in the United States.
The company's instruments are played by orchestral harpists in major orchestras worldwide. Their concert harps, particularly the pedal harp models, meet the technical demands of professional performance while achieving the visual and tonal qualities expected at the highest levels.
The Style 23 Concert Harp
The Style 23 is Lyon & Healy's professional concert harp, designed for orchestral and solo professional use. A 1920 example represents the pre-electrification era of American orchestral music, when acoustic instruments needed to carry naturally through large concert halls.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | Double-action pedal harp |
| Strings | 47 strings |
| Range | Six and a half octaves |
| Pedals | 7 pedals with double-action mechanism |
| Finish | Gold leaf on carved column, neck, and soundboard |
| Body | Spruce soundboard, maple frame |
| Height | Approximately 70-72 inches |
| Weight | Approximately 85-90 pounds |
The double-action pedal mechanism, with each of the seven pedals having two positions below neutral (allowing each note to sound natural, flat, or sharp), is the technical heart of the concert harp. This mechanism, developed in the early 19th century, allows the harpist to play in any key.
The Gold Finish: Aesthetic and Craft
The gold finish on a Lyon & Healy Style 23 involves gold leafing applied to the carved column (the curved main structural element), the neck, and decorative elements of the soundboard. This gilding process requires specialized craftspeople and significant material cost.
The carved column typically features classical or organic decorative motifs (acanthus leaves, mythological figures, or architectural elements). The quality and extent of the carving, combined with the gold leafing quality, contributes significantly to the visual grandeur of the instrument.
A 1920 example has 100 years of patina development on the gold surfaces, which may show:
Areas of wear where hands regularly contact the instrument
Darkening in recessed areas from accumulated wax and dust
Possible areas of gold loss requiring conservation
The Strings and Playing Condition
A 1920 harp in playing condition requires:
Current strings (historical strings are not expected to survive; harps are regularly restrung)
Functioning pedal mechanism (original mechanism should work; may need lubrication and adjustment)
Stable soundboard (checking for cracks, separations)
Tuning stability
Original strings from 1920 would not be present or functional. The question is whether the instrument has been properly maintained, regularly strung, and is in playing condition at all. A Lyon & Healy technician can evaluate the pedal mechanism and structural integrity.
Values for a 1920 Style 23
Concert harps in general have a specific market: professional musicians who need working instruments, educators, collectors of antique instruments, and institutional buyers.
| Condition | Approximate Value |
|---|---|
| Excellent, fully restored/regulated, playing | $18,000 to $35,000 |
| Good, working, regular maintenance | $10,000 to $22,000 |
| Playable but needs regulation | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Structural repairs needed | $2,000 to $7,000 |
| Display only, major issues | $800 to $3,000 |
New Lyon & Healy Style 23 harps retail for $28,000-$40,000, giving context for vintage examples in excellent condition.
Comparison with Modern Instruments
Harp technology has advanced since 1920 in string materials, regulation precision, and finishing techniques. Modern Lyon & Healy instruments use improved string materials and more precisely machined pedal mechanisms.
However, the tonal quality of older spruce soundboards (which age as the wood cells slowly dehydrate and the material becomes lighter and more resonant) means that a well-preserved vintage Lyon & Healy can have a tonal depth that newer instruments with denser wood lack. This acoustic consideration makes vintage harps valuable to professional players beyond simple collector interest.
Provenance and Institutional History
Many professional harps of this era were owned by orchestras, music schools, or individual professional harpists. Documented provenance connecting a Lyon & Healy Style 23 to a specific performer or institution adds historical interest and potential value.
Lyon & Healy maintains records that can sometimes trace individual instrument serial numbers to original purchasers, providing valuable provenance documentation.
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