Karen Loomis
Consultant Organologist
Online database for an 18-century Irish harp in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). Includes:
-
3D digital scan meshes;
-
orthographic views and cross sections;
-
contour map of soundboard thickness;
-
photographic survey;
-
processed, paired visible and long-wave UV images;
-
images of the soundbox interior;
-
microscopy;
-
stringing analysis with string lengths and proposed stringing schedule;
-
write-ups with information on all of the data and procedures;
-
write-ups on history, construction, stringing, tuning pins, decorative work, and soundbox wear marks.
PhD dissertation, vol. 1: wire fragment analysis, reconstruction of original string lengths and frame dimensions, stringing schedules (2015)
PhD dissertation, vol. 3: the Queen Mary harp – construction, tuning pins, decorative work, metals and pigment analysis, wear marks, measured CT scan cross-sections, woods ID of Lamont and Queen Mary sound boxes (2015)
Findings from the CT scans of the Lamont and Queen Mary harps – internal construction and repairs, wood grain, soundboard thickness maps. Published in The Galpin Society Journal, 2012
A compilation of known woods identifications for historical Irish harps
PhD dissertation, vol. 2: the Lamont harp – construction, tuning pins, decorative work, metals analysis, wear marks, inscriptions, measured CT scan cross-sections (2015)
Revisiting and updating an erroneous 1960's era wood species identification for the Queen Mary and Lamont harps. Published in Early Music, Nov. 2015
MMUS thesis in Musical Instrument Research: discussion of structural breaks and repairs of the Lamont and Queen Mary harps as revealed by CT scan (2010)
Discussion of Bunting's extensively annotated, personal copies of his published vols. of Irish harp music, forgotten and overlooked at the British Library. Includes an appendix of tune sources from his annotations.