Lisa McCormick
How do some cultural objects maintain iconic power for centuries? To answer this question, my project considers an extreme case from western classical music: the string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari in the 17th century. The first part of the project traces when and how Stradivarius came to be regarded as the greatest instrument maker of all time. The second part focuses on the social processes maintaining the iconicity of Stradivari’s instruments despite advances in instrument making and changes in musical performance practice. The analysis draws on fieldwork as well as secondary sources, including archival materials, historical biographies, print media texts, documentary films, and information about provenance and historical pricing. The resulting monograph will contribute to cultural sociology by extending icon theory, and to the sociology of the arts by theorizing the meaning, materiality and valuation of musical instruments. It will also lay the groundwork for future comparative research.