Elbern H "Eddie" Alkire Personal Papers and Music Instrument Collection

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Instruments and inventions

Publications, compositions and teaching methods

Business materials

Professional materials

Personal materials

Recordings

Photographs



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Finding Aid for Elbern H "Eddie" Alkire Personal Papers and Music Instrument Collection, 1926-1997 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

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Collection Overview

Title: Elbern H "Eddie" Alkire Personal Papers and Music Instrument Collection, 1926-1997Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 12/9/101

Primary Creator: Alkire, Elbern H. (1907-1981)

Extent: 73.0 cubic feet

Date Acquired: 02/25/2006. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Music - United States, Photographs

Formats/Genres: Papers, Sheet music, Sound Recordings

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of original and published music, business records, correspondence, instructional guides and music examinations, programs, sound recordings, photographs, electrical and mechanical diagrams for several prototype Hawaiian guitars, music instrument catalogs, four original prototype Hawaiian guitars including the first 15-string acoustic guitar, Cruiser, Mini Surfer, and the experimental "Superaxe" guitar with 20 strings, 3 Epiphone Eharp 10-string electric guitars, and Alkire's original acoustic Hawaiian guitar that was used for 1000 radio broadcasts as director and lead guitarist of the Oahu Serenaders during the early 1930s. In addition the collection includes an original Rickenbacker Electro "Frying Pan" guitar. The papers and instruments document Eddie Alkire's career as a musician, music teacher, businessman and inventor. The collection also documents the evolution of Hawaiian guitar performance in America during its height of popularity between 1929 and 1960.

For more Hawaiian guitar materials, see RS 12/9/50 and RS 12/9/150.

Biographical Note

Elbern Homer "Eddie" Alkire (1907-1981) was America's most recognized performer, teacher, and innovator of the twentieth-century Hawaiian guitar. Eddie Alkire, the son of Bessie Alkire, was born on December 6, 1907 in Hacker's Valley, West Virginia. When he was five months old, his father was killed in a railroad accident and he was subsequently adopted and raised by his maternal grandparents, David Lee Alkire and Arminta Alkire (nee Lake). At the age of 16, his grandfather died, leaving Eddie to manage the family grocery store. Sometime around 1921, Eddie began practicing the guitar and enrolled in a correspondence course created by the First Hawaiian Conservatory of Music, a guitar store based in New York and New Jersey. In 1925, Eddie began working at a coal mine operated by Standard Supply Co. in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Soon after, he enrolled in an electrical engineering correspondence course, which he completed in less than a year. During this same year, Alkire performed guitar and tenor banjo for the first time on a radio station, W.M.M.N., which was located in Fairmont, West Virginia.

In 1929, Alkire moved to Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania in order to attend a technical night school. During this time, he was employed by the Westinghouse Electrical Company, where he built switch gear apparatuses and intended to become an electrical engineer. By chance, the Westinghouse building where he worked was located across the street from a local Hawaiian Guitar Shop and School. Members of the School tried to persuade him to abandon his pursuit of electrical engineering and to teach and perform at the school. He soon began playing on the school's Sunday radio hour sponsored by radio station K.Q.V.

In 1930, Alkire was persuaded to move to Cleveland, Ohio where he became a teacher and composer for the Oahu Music Company. Between 1930 and 1934, Alkire acted as the music director for the Oahu Serenaders, an ensemble that performed on over 1000 coast-to-coast, nationally syndocated N.B.C and C.B.S. radio broadcasts. As a performer, Alkire experimented with new tunings that enabled him to play four-part harmonies and rapid melodic passages and as a result the Oahu Serenaders fostered a deep fan base. In 1934, Alkire married Margaret Hanzel, who suggested that he find a more stable career. That year, Alkire and his wife moved to Easton, Pennsylvania. It was here that Alkire created his own music publishing company. Building upon his own educational experiences and the publishing experience he gained from Oahu, Alkire created a series of progressive correspondence lessons that taught beginning and intermediate players how to play Hawaiian and Spanish guitar. His correspondence course would continue publishing learn-by-mail lessons well into the 1960s.

In 1936, Alkire utilized his knowledge of electrical engineering to create an experimental 15-string electric Hawaiian guitar. By 1939, he had solicited renowned electric guitar maker George Beauchamp to help him cast the first 10-string Hawaiian Guitar, which he called the E-Harp (pronounced ay-harp) and which Alkire officially patented in 1950. Near the end of his life, Alkire designed several guitar pedals and several other Hawaiian guitars including: The Mighty Mo, the Super Axe, the Mini Surfer, the Cruiser, and the Islander. Alkire died on January 25, 1981. He was inducted in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame two years later in 1983.

Subject/Index Terms

Music - United States
Photographs

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Claude Brownell performance audiocassettes donated by Dick Alkire on February 21, 2018.  Alkire business correspondence from 1932 to 1997, and 10-inch disc recordings donated by Dick Alkire on January 17, 2021.

Access Restrictions: None.

Acquisition Source: Richard Alkire

Acquisition Method: Gift.

Other Note: Pages


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Instruments and inventions],
[Series 2: Publications, compositions and teaching methods],
[Series 3: Business materials],
[Series 4: Professional materials],
[Series 5: Personal materials],
[Series 6: Recordings],
[Series 7: Photographs],
[All]

Series 4: Professional materialsAdd to your cart.
Sub-Series 1: Articles, magazines and journalsAdd to your cart.
Box 105Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Lecture notes, 1969 (5 January)Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Hawaiian guitar articlesAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: "Harmonic Resources of the Eharp" as tape recordedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: "Overcomers are made of steel"Add to your cart.
Author: Bell, Victor
Folder 5: Article draft, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: "Our trip to the convention"Add to your cart.
Folder 7: History of the steel guitar, lecture and article notesAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Published articles by Eddie AlkireAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: FIGA articlesAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: "Metronome" column ideasAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: ArticlesAdd to your cart.
Authors: Gould, White, Waddington, McGinley
Folder 13: "Hand stretching", 1932Add to your cart.
Illustrator: Klar, Edith
Folder 14: "So you think you know how to write a country tune"Add to your cart.
Author: Marlowe, Kenny
Folder 15: Magazine clippings, 1968Add to your cart.
Folder 16: News clippings, 1950-59Add to your cart.
Folder 17: _The Bandsman_, 1959 (Feb.)Add to your cart.
Folder 18: _The Billboard_, 1955Add to your cart.
Folder 19: _Dormhurst Triangle_, 1932 (Mar.)Add to your cart.
Folder 20: _Easton Express_, 1972 (Jun.)Add to your cart.
Folder 21: _FIGA News_, 1967 (Nov. - Dec.)Add to your cart.
Folder 22: _FIGA News_, 1979Add to your cart.
Folder 23: _FIGA News_, 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 24: _FIGA News_, 1981 (Jan. - Apr.)Add to your cart.
Folder 25: _Fretted Instrument News_, 1945-49Add to your cart.
Box 106Add to your cart.
Folder 1: _Fretted Instrument News_, 1950-51Add to your cart.
Folder 2: _Fretted Instrument News_, 1952-54Add to your cart.
Folder 3: _Fretts_, 1958 (Feb. - Mar.)Add to your cart.
Folder 4: _The Guitarist_, 1937Add to your cart.
Folder 5: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 1, nos. 1-12Add to your cart.
Folder 6: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 2, nos. 1-12Add to your cart.
Folder 7: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 3, nos. 1-12Add to your cart.
Folder 8: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 4, nos. 1-12Add to your cart.
Folder 9: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 5, nos. 1-12Add to your cart.
Folder 10: _Ha'ilono Mele_ vol. 2, no. 1 - vol. 3, no. 3Add to your cart.
Folder 11: _Hawaiian Guitarist_, 1933Add to your cart.
Box 107Add to your cart.
Folder 1: _Hawaiian Guitarist_, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 2: _Hawaiian Guitarist_, 1935-36Add to your cart.
Folder 3: _Hawaiian Guitarist_ survey formAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: _Honolulu Advertiser_, 1934 (June)Add to your cart.
Folder 5: International Hawaiian Steel Guitar Club newsletter vol. 4-7Add to your cart.
Folder 6: _Mastertone_, 1937Add to your cart.
Folder 7: _Music Dealer_, 1948, 51Add to your cart.
Folder 8: _Music Dealer_, 1952Add to your cart.
Folder 9: _Music Studio News_ vol. 12, nos. 1-4Add to your cart.
Folder 10: _Music Studio News_ vol. 13, nos. 1-4Add to your cart.
Folder 11: _Music Studio News_ vol. 14, nos. 1-6Add to your cart.
Folder 12: _Music Today_, 1947Add to your cart.
Folder 13: _The Music Trades_, 1962 (Jun., Aug.)Add to your cart.
Folder 14: _Musical Notes_, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 15: _Pedal Steel Newsletter_, 1978Add to your cart.
Box 108Add to your cart.
Folder 1: SESAC Bulletins, 1942-51Add to your cart.
Folder 2: SESAC Bulletins, 1942-46Add to your cart.
Folder 3: SESAC Bulletins, 1947-56Add to your cart.
Folder 4: SESAC Bulletins, 1952-56Add to your cart.
Folder 5: _The Statler_, 1932Add to your cart.
Folder 6: _Steel Guitar Progress_ vol. 1, no. 2 - vol. 2, no. 1Add to your cart.
Folder 7: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Frank BrownAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Joseph ClemmerAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Everett DemingAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Leonard L. GrossAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Nick de PaolaAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Gene MackAdd to your cart.
Folder 13: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Ladis MarekAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - John McGinleyAdd to your cart.
Folder 15: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Lloyd L. NollingerAdd to your cart.
Folder 16: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Hibbard A. PerryAdd to your cart.
Folder 17: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Frank QuintanaAdd to your cart.
Box 109Add to your cart.
Folder 1: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Ruth ReesAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Henry W. RodenbeckAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - W. O. StorhowAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Ron WaddingtonAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Sylvia WagnerAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Fred WernerAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Evan WhiteAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: _Steel Guitar Progress_ article - Robert WhitfordAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: _Steel Guitarist_, 1979Add to your cart.
Folder 10: _Steel Guitarist_, 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 11: _Steel Guitarist_, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 12: _Your Music_, 1950-51Add to your cart.
Box 111Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Newspaper articles & publicity, 1930-41Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Newspaper articles & publicity, 1941-55Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Newspaper articles & publicity, 1950-59Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Newspaper articles, 1960-76Add to your cart.
Folder 5: _Rodeo News_, 1947 (May)Add to your cart.
Box 133Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Photocopied news clippings, ca. 1920-30Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Superaxe debut article, 1972Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Easton Express Electro article, 1976Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 2: Professional organizationsAdd to your cart.
Box 109Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Hawaiian Music Foundation literatureAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: American Federation of Musicians life membership cardAdd to your cart.
Folder 15: American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists meeting minutes, 1951Add to your cart.
Folder 16: American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists convention programs, 1936-40Add to your cart.
Folder 17: American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists convention programs, 1947-54Add to your cart.
Folder 18: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1940-58Add to your cart.
Box 110Add to your cart.
Folder 1: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1936-46Add to your cart.
Folder 2: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1951-56Add to your cart.
Folder 3: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1955-58Add to your cart.
Folder 4: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1950-64Add to your cart.
Folder 5: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1977-80Add to your cart.
Folder 6: American Guild of Music convention programs, 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 7: American Guild of Music registration listAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Association of Music PublishersAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: Convention ideasAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: FIGA directories, 1975Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Fretted Instrument Guild of AmericaAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Song listsAdd to your cart.
Folder 13: Reference and suggestions: lists played, 1942-43Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Program pieces (song titles)Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Reference and suggestions: lists played, 1942-43Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Set listsAdd to your cart.
Folder 17: Radio continuity and list of programs, 1941-42Add to your cart.
Box 111Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Convention display materials, 1948-49Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Convention display materials, 1949-50Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Convention display materials, 1951-52Add to your cart.
Box 112Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Convention display materials, 1952-53Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Convention display materials, 1954-56Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Convention display materials, 1956-57Add to your cart.
Box 120Add to your cart.
Folder 2: American Guild of Music Lifetime Achievement AwardAdd to your cart.
Box 140Add to your cart.
Item 1: Gretsch Trophy American Guild Award- July 3, 1940Add to your cart.
Item 2: Gretsch Trophy American Guild of B.M. & G Award- July 10, 1941Add to your cart.
Item 3: PicksAdd to your cart.
Item 4: Slide/SteelAdd to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Instruments and inventions],
[Series 2: Publications, compositions and teaching methods],
[Series 3: Business materials],
[Series 4: Professional materials],
[Series 5: Personal materials],
[Series 6: Recordings],
[Series 7: Photographs],
[All]

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