This 1890s picture shows George Haarnack (son of H.D. Haarnack). The harp he is holding appears to be either an undecorated variant, or a pre-production prototype, of the type of harp supplied to Archibald Campbell for the Scottish National Mod in the later 1890s. It has no semitone mechanisms (levers or blades) but it is probably gut-strung, as its soundbox is constructed like that of a pedal harp with a cross-grain softwood soundboard. The overall shape and look of the instrument is based on the medieval Queen Mary harp. Picture � Moira Bonnington, used with permission.
© Simon Chadwick 2005 - part of the history of the Gaelic harp, at earlygaelicharp.info