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Royal Manchester College Of Music (RMCM)
1920

This fascinating instrument was donated to the RNCM museum by Mr Andrew Beaizley, former RMCM student.
This strange instrument is called a Stroh Violin, a designed patented by John Matthias Augustus Stroh in London in 1899. It was designed in order to amplify playing in early recording and live dance bands - using the horn to attempt to project the sound of a violin so that it could be picked up by early recording technology (pre-electric recordings) and be heard above the bass, brass and boom of dance bands and dancers. While it was usurped rather quickly in the recording studios, the dance bands used them through to the mid 20th century.