A brief guide to the early Morley Clarsach (draft edition 2017)

by M Parfett and B Morley

Full PDF available clicklng here.

Excerpts below.

In about 1800 the Dublin Harp maker John Egan (1804-1838) developed a new romantic type of Irish harp which was gut strung unlike the earlier Irish harps that inspired it which had metal strings. His new style of harp were fitted with blades or discs with Forchettes and tuned like the single action harp in Eb. The Most famous being his Dital Harp.

It is later that century that the house of Morley took up the designs of Egan to develop their own small harp.

We are not sure exactly who was the driving force here George (1817-1837), Charles (joined harp making business 1820), Robert (1840-1916) or indeed Joseph George Morley himself (1847-1921).

Certainly the Harps are very similar almost copies of the Egan Harps although later in the production J. G Morley did produce some larger lever harps with a turned column .

The decoration was however directly influenced by the Egan harps . This being executed using early type of gilded transfer and even to using Green as the base colour . (Egan harps were most often hand decorated ) 

In 1902 it  was the American harp maker Melville Clarke who was himself inspired by the Morley Harp to develop his own "folk" harps. At the same time Lyon and Healy were probably taking the lead from makers such as Mc Fall in Belfast . 

Research about Melville Clark implies that Lyon and Healy later took on to making the Clark harps.

From the internet - https://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/topic/i-have-a-clark-harp/

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.

Clark Irish Harp by Lyon & Healy – Online Auction Listing

American, 20th century. A mixed wood Clark Irish Harp, patented by the Clark MFG Co. and made by Lyon & Healy in Chicago, decorated with painted Irish designs, raised on paw feet and resting on a detachable stand with folding legs, both harp and stand marked for Clark and Lyon & Healy, metal data-plate with inscription Model A and serial no. 2172 at base of harp; oah. 51.5 (including stand), harp ht. 38.75 in., harp lg. 22.5 in.

Stringing 

J.G Morley Clarsach harps were designed to be strung using concert gauge strings of the time with maybe the last 3 notes of silk wound with copper .Therefore if the harp is in a good state and structurally stable stringing from top a concert (000) should give you a good sound , you can even take the gut all the way down if not wanting to order special strings .

If in any doubt as to structural integrity use caution when stringing maybe use 19th Century scale or even lever harp strings although tension tends to be too light .

When putting under tension this should always be done over a week or so starting as C=G then working up to concert pitch  observing all the time the pillar and neck for out of the ordinary movement.

Gut Strings available from Morley Harps , or standard harp string suppliers in relevant country .

Wound strings  special order from Salopian strings dinah@salopianstrings.co.uk

or Vermont strings in the USA may be able to supply.

NEVER  put steel core bass strings (standard Lever wires ) on this type of harp .