History

These musical instruments were called "épinettes" by Larousse dictionaries - these engravings come from 1920's and 1930's editions.

Below here is a postcard from the beginning of the twentieth century.

If you have a look at the site of " la cité de la musique ", you will find inside few " épinettes des Vosges " and you will notice that all the musical instruments - which we are sure they come from East France because they are signed - have obvious similarities with the ones which are exposed on this page. In the beginning of the twentieth century the accurate description given by Le Baron Mengin Fondragon corresponds to all these instruments. In our opinion, no doubt : this is an actual épinette des Vosges!

But a few lovers of American culture want to lay down an instrument they created from the Appalachians' dulcimer and they always take the same unique instrument - sinse they have known its existence - as a model which is exposed at the Departement Museum of Epinal. This instrument, which is listed as BD.13, cames from a totally unknown origin. Indeed, its manufacturing place, dare, its manufacturer, its origin and its history are unknown. A curator had one day qualified it as an épinette - he did not find its accurate name - and so a few lovers of the dulcimer had made by their own. To be convinced, go and read a well-known manual of épinette.

As for the sopposedly rivalry between the Vallée des Lacs ( Lakes Valley ) and the Vosges Saônoises, it is skilfully kept going. In our mind, no doubt, the typical épinette des Vosges does not have several shapes. It is only when you see that an example was created and registered by the Menestrels few decades ago that you may understand there was not any traditional épinette in this area before.

But a few lovers of American culture want to lay down an instrument they created from the Appalachians' dulcimer and they always take the same unique instrument - sinse they have known its existence - as a model which is exposed at the Departement Museum of Epinal. This instrument, which is listed as BD.13, cames from a totally unknown origin. Indeed, its manufacturing place, dare, its manufacturer, its origin and its history are unknown. A curator had one day qualified it as an épinette - he did not find its accurate name - and so a few lovers of the dulcimer had made by their own. To be convinced, go and read a well-known manual of épinette.

As for the sopposedly rivalry between the Vallée des Lacs ( Lakes Valley ) and the Vosges Saônoises, it is skilfully kept going. In our mind, no doubt, the typical épinette des Vosges does not have several shapes. It is only when you see that an example was created and registered by the Menestrels few decades ago that you may understand there was not any traditional épinette in this area before.

Admittedly, few zithers had been found there, but about the two mor often quoted - from unknown origi and date - we can notice that the one of the Hauts Rupts - a stringed instrument, with double chromatic frettage, without any bourdon - is not an épinette des Vosges.As for the other one - the one with four strings - it had inspired the example registered by the Menestrels. We do not know any old postcard depicting an épinette des Vosges in the Vallée des Lacs, any traveller's text who would have seen an épinette des Vosges in this area, any épinette des Vosges signed by a person living in this area last century or even before, any old text of touristic folder about an épinette des Vosges. As for the famous account book about the purchase of spinets, whose origin is difficult to find, it had mysteriously disappeared.

This is a listing of elements, which are easily checked by anybody :

_ dictionaries and postcards of the beginning of the twentieth century

_ le guide du baigneur ( the swimmer's guide ) written by Doctor hutin and Doctor Bottentuit in 1875

_ Mengin fondragon' s account - in Jean Parisot's book (1875 )

_ many instruments signed by Amé Lambert (1843-1908 )

_ many instuments signed by A.Balandier (1872-1945 )

_ many instuments signed by J.J.Perney (1835-1882 )

_ many instuments signed by A.Fleurot (1826-1898 )

_ Napoleon's third letter to Eugenie on July 26th 1857

_ Hector Berlioz's letter to his sister on August 4th 1857

and so ...

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