The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix just got even more magical! Its beloved Oceania Gallery has welcomed remarkable new acquisitions that dive deeper into the musical traditions of Polynesia, giving visitors fresh reasons to explore more than 1,000 islands’ worth of musical heritage.
The star of the revised Ukuleles exhibit is a soprano ukulele crafted in the 1890s by Jose do Espirito Santo — one of the three original inventors of the ukulele itself! This extraordinary instrument offers guests a direct connection to the birth of Hawaii’s most iconic instrument, developed in the early 1880s when Portuguese immigrants adapted it from Madeiran instruments.
But that’s just the beginning. The gallery now also showcases a rare 1920s ukulele by Samuel Kamaka Sr., founder of the world-renowned family-owned Kamaka Hawaii company, adorned with beautiful abalone shell inlay. Nearby sits a 1940s cigar box ukulele built by his son, Samuel Kamaka Jr. — one of only seven he ever crafted from vintage cigar boxes — plus a whimsical 1910s harp ukulele with an extended arm designed by luthier Chris Knutsen.
The Hawaii exhibit adds a rare three-quarter-size guitar made by Leonardo Nunes, son of Manuel Nunes — another of the ukulele’s three original makers. And the Polynesia exhibit features three 19th-century instruments celebrating Indigenous traditions that have endured for centuries across the Pacific.
Polynesia spans Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, the Marquesas, and countless other islands, all connected through language, customs, and music. This is the perfect excuse to visit MIM and experience the sound of the Pacific like never before!
Photo: Musical Instrument Museum
