The ukulele Martin 1K, the “Dick Konter” of the early 1900s, is perhaps the most famous ukulele in the world. It traveled on the plane that embarked on the expedition to the Arctic Pole, on May 9th, 1926, and is entirely covered with autographs, both of the crew members and of celebrities of the time. The ukulele is on permanent display at the Martin Museum, at 510 Sycamore Street, Nazareth, Pennsylvania. These few sinuous centimeters of artfully modeled wood are witnesses of a fascinating historical era, and are still the subject of studies and research to identify some of the more than 160 mysterious signatures.
In 2016, I went to visit my parents in the USA, in Pennsylvania, for the Christmas Holidays. The thermometer measured about 21 degrees below zero. The house in the country was surrounded by very high snow, which covered the entire surrounding area, like an immense carpet of whipped cream that you could not see the end of. I discovered that the Martin Museum was about a half hour drive from home. Despite the ice on the asphalt and the risky driving, I jumped in the Jeep with my mother and went to Nazareth. Entrance in the museum is free. Arranged in a single large room, divided by periods and instruments, it has very detailed information on their history and evoluti
