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Evening, Bernhard,
As with Polly, I highly recommend Linda Kaiser’s book “Pulling Strings” since she has a lot of information about the Clark Harp Mfg. company, the harps themselves and Melville Clark.
Linda writes that The Clark Music Company began manufacturing the Clark Irish Harp in 1908 and selling it in 1909. The Clark Harp Manufacturing Company was established in 1912. In 1912, however, the company could not keep up with orders, and negotiated with Lyon and Healy to make 250 Clark harps, paying royalties to the company. L & H continued to make Clark harps until 1935. As such, Clark harps were being made in Syracuse by the Clark Harp Manufacturing Company and in Chicago by L & H simultaneously for a period of time.
Truly,
Jennifer
Evening Polly,
Since you own a Clark, you should definitely get a copy of Linda’s book. It has a lot of good information about your harp in it. Regarding what your harp is worth, it could be anywhere from $500 to $3000.00, in my opinion, depending on the condition. Since your harp was given to you in 1956, it was probably strung originally with nylon strings, in which case you might try the strings that Markwood Strings have for Clarks. (http://www.markwoodstrings.com/) I have not tried them myself, but know a couple of people who have and they have liked them.
Good luck!
Jennifer
I have had some of the eyelets (or grommets) in my harp (Triplett Celtic lever) replaced but once they were cracked and then moving into the wood of the harp, it was not something I could do myself.
