Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

The RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments is essentially an amalgamation of two collections that had originally been assembled by Dr Henry Watson (1846-1911), and a smaller collection by Josiah Thomas Chapman (1843-1907).

The collection now comprises in excess of 300 instruments: European wind, strings and keyboard; Non-European wind, strings and percussion. It includes a number of keyboards by Broadwood; viols by Barak Norman and Collingwood; violins by Stradivarius and Guarnerius together with some wind instruments from the 18th and early 19th centuries. The items of non-European ethnic origin are also of interest.

The Catalogue of the Collection, compiled by William Waterhouse, is now available in print. For details of how to purchase a copy, click here.
February 2012. Shortlisted for the C.B. Oldman Prize 2012 (for 2010 imprints)
http://www.iaml.info/iaml-uk-irl/awards/oldman.html

Visit the RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments 
For details of when the Collection is open go to the Opening Times page

Location of the Collection
The Collection is located in the basement of the Library part of the College building (to the left of the main entrance on Booth Street West). It can be accessed using the staircase behind the Box Office or by the lift situated opposite the Library door. Please note that outside advertised opening hours access is restricted. For information on the location of the College see the Find Us page