A collection is defined as comprising at least 15 items, although a few smaller collections of historically significant instruments are included. Temporary exhibitions are not included as a certain degree of permanence is assumed and anonynmous listings are provided for some private collections.
Our definition of a musical instrument follows traditional wisdom: any sound-producing device from any culture, activated in any way, that i,s used for making what is commonly called "music". This includes automatic or mechanical instruments but excludes recording or playback equipment. The listing includes the contact addresses of a museum or an istitution or, in the case of a private collections an "in care of" address, to which interested persons may apply for an appointment or to write for information. A small number of collections do not accept visitors but are listed in the International Directory in order to document particularly important instruments.
The present database is an updated version and expansion of the International Directory of Musical Instrument Museums and Collections that previously appeared on the CIMCIM page and had been prepared for Web publication and maintained for several years by Dr. Arnold Myers.The current version maintains all the data of that one, although the existing entries are being progressively checked and updated, while new ones are being added.
Most of the material included in the database was originally compiled from questionnaires by Barbara Lambert between 1988-1993. Further information was also contributed by individuals and taken from existing bibliography. The updating, maintaining and future development of the International Directory is being reviewed by CIMCIM.
The new database structure has been created by Datacom s.n.c., Livorno (Italy) thanks to a generous grant from ICOM and has been coordinated by Gabriele Rossi-Rognoni with the help of Laura Bognetti. The existing data have been transferred to the new database and partially checked and updated by Martina Gozzini.
The material for North America (U.S.A. and Canada) had been compiled by Albert R. Rice and sponsored by the American Musical Instrument Society. North America (USA and Canada)
It is the result of work by a committee of the American Musical Instrument Society consisting of Cecil Adkins, William E. Hettrick, Cynthia Adams Hoover, Barbara Lambert, J. Kenneth Moore, and Albert R. Rice as the chairman. Other members of the AMIS who have been helpful include: Richard Abel, Margaret Downie Banks, John Coltman, Robert Eliason, Michael Finkelman. Darcy Kuronen, Laurence Libin, Martha Maas, and Susan Thompson.
The text has been prepared for Web publication by Arnold Myers. The information included here was completed between 1990 and 1996. The date - whenever included in the description of each collection - indicates when the form was filled out by a staff member at a museum or the owner of the collection.
The electronic version of the International Directory replaces the printed first edition compiled by Jean Jenkins and published by Knuf for CIMCIM in 1977. The information related to North America is to be considered as an update to A Survey of Musical Instrument Collections in the United States and Canada, published in 1974 by the Music Library Association.
France
Information on French collections - Paris excluded - was originally gathered
by Frédéric de La Grandville for the French government and compiled as
Inventaire des instruments de musique en France dans les Musées de province,
which has been made available to CIMCIM by the Musée de la Musique, Paris.
More detailed descriptions of the contents of these collections is maintained
by the Documentation
Centre of the Musée de la Musique and may be consulted by appointment.
Italy
Information about this country's collections was gathered by Barbara Lambert,
John-Henry van der Meer, and Renato Meucci (Milano); with Rinaldo Pellizzari,
Brescia.
The Netherlands
Information about this country's collections was compiled together with
Rob van Acht and Clemens von Gleich.
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
Information about this country's collections was compiled together with
Arnold Myers, Frances Palmer, Hélène la Rue, Elizabeth Wells, Jeremy Montagu
and Clifford Bevan.
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