The Flute Vault in the Library of Congress, September 26, 2022. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress. Note: Privacy and publicity rights for individuals depicted may apply.
Learning—and Making Friends—at the Library of Congress

Since the Summer of 2024, Carol Lynn Ward Bamford, curator of musical instruments at the…

The Mechanical Perfectionist: The Genius and Tragedy of Cornelius Ward

In the grand narrative of the flute’s evolution, the 19th century is often presented as…

Dayton C Miller collection Library of Congress
The Flutist in the Physics Lab: An Intimate Portrait of Dayton C. Miller

In the annals of the flute, there are innovators, virtuosos, and scholars. And then there…

Music Under Hand: Unveiling the Walking Stick Flutes of the Dayton C. Miller Collection

Part 1: The Allure and Context of Walking Stick Flutes Imagine strolling down a bustling…

The Legacy of Claude Laurent’s Glass Flutes

Claude Laurent’s exquisite glass flutes, symbols of 19th-century innovation and luxury, famously gifted to world…